Architecture

Inspiration and Tools for Architects
Serious Fun: Architecture Beyond Form and Function
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Bold color, dynamic light and playful material strategies transform everyday buildings, elevating architecture beyond shelter or form.
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The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy today. Color and light shape how we feel and how we connect with the spaces around us. A place without light can feel unsafe at night, while the same spot can feel warm and welcoming in daylight. Colors bring identity, energy and emotion, while light changes their effect throughout the day, making architecture alive and ever-changing. Playful design is what elevates architecture above shelter or form. Playfulness gives us the chance to think outside of the box, to learn alternative ways of engaging with our environment and to experience joy in unexpected settings. In recent years, playful architecture has become increasingly important: the use of bold color often gives way to experimental forms and dynamic lighting. The winning projects from the 13th A+Awards reflect this approach, showing how playful use of color and light can transform a range of typologies, from installations to public art to housing. Boulder Park: The First 3D Concrete-Printed Playground by XISUI Design, Jinan, China Jury Winner & Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Joy, 13th Architizer A+Awards Covering 139,930 square feet (13,000 square meters), the park combines natural boulder forms with playful structures for children and families. The 3D printing process gives the concrete surfaces a layered, rock-like texture, blending with the landscape. The playground includes climbing caves, water play areas and forest gardens, where slides, swings and tunnels are hidden among stone-like forms. Light and shadow move across the textured surfaces, highlighting curves and openings. Water features add reflections and sound, turning play into an exploration of nature. Zhangbei Mirage by Puri Lighting Design, Zhangjiakou, China Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Light, 13th Architizer A+Awards The structure is made of solid concrete wrapped in a steel framework. At night, carefully placed lights transform the building into a glowing lantern. Using different beam angles and wattages, uplights highlight the steel frame and create depth between shadow and brightness. The lighting design uses pure white 4000K light, giving the building a clean, calm feeling. From a distance, the structure appears light and transparent, as if floating in the field. The balance of strong form and soft light makes the building feel both monumental and delicate. Buji Residences By Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM), Shenzhen, China Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Color, 13th Architizer A+Awards Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) designed Buji Residences in Shenzhen as a lively urban housing project full of color and play. The landscape mixes bold playground structures, patterned paths, and calm gardens. At the center is the “Playscraper” — a tall climbing structure that acts as both playground and landmark. In the second phase, a bright magenta corridor leads residents to the pool, adding vibrancy to the daily journey. Community spaces like Dance Moon Plaza glow with disco balls and purple lights, turning evenings into festive gatherings. In contrast, quiet gardens offer peace, with moon gates, themed plantings and shaded retreats. House on Lake Como by J.MAYER.H, Como, Italy Jury Winner, Architecture + Color, 13th Architizer A+Awards J.MAYER.H renovated an 18th-century villa on Lake Como, carefully blending history with modern design. The house opens directly to the water, offering wide views of the lake. Inside, each room is painted in a single glossy color: light shades for rooms facing the lake to reflect sunlight and water patterns, and darker tones for inward-facing rooms, creating cool retreats. The shiny paint highlights irregular textures, preserving the sense of age. Special objects such as marble bathrooms, unique lighting, and painted ceilings by artist Matthieu Cossé add contemporary touches within the historic shell. Outside, the garden was redesigned with a stone-lined pool, new dock and artworks. Dancing Stone Forest by WAG Architects 犬摇建筑, Harbin, China Jury Winner, Pop-Ups and Temporary, 13th Architizer A+Awards WAG Architects’ Dancing Stone Forest uses simple form and material to connect people with nature, showing how softness and strength can coexist in harmony. Inspired by prehistoric stone circles such as Stonehenge, the installation uses 30 large white inflatable pillars arranged in a spiral. Unlike rearock, these “soft stones” sway when touched, inviting adults and children alike to interact in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. The white color of the soft stones stands out against the green wetland and reflects light, creating a glowing effect in nature. Later, at night, the pillars take on a new dimension as their fabric is illuminated by light that imbues them with mellow yellows, cotton candy pinks, creamsicle tints and warm indigos. Visitors can walk inside the circle, entering a space that feels both ancient and new. Children can hide and run between the soft pillars, while adults see the work as a reminder of time and history. Diffuse Mirror by António Costa Lima Arquitectos, Portugal Jury Winner, Architecture + Light, 13th Architizer A+Awards António Costa Lima Arquitectos designed Diffuse Mirror, a small chapel on the edge of a dam in Portugal. Built with pine wood poles placed close together, the structure looks both fragile and strong. Light filters through the small gaps between the wooden posts, changing the space throughout the day. Inside, the play of light and shadow creates reflections that feel like moving water. A single horizontal window at floor level frames the surface of the dam, while a cross-shaped wooden pole rises through the chapel, linking sky and water. In winter, water reaches close to the floor, making the space feel as if it floats. The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy today. The post Serious Fun: Architecture Beyond Form and Function appeared first on Journal.
Concrete Dreams, Political Realities: Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex Today
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Le Corbusier’s monumental vision still governs, but how does a modernist dream adapt to the messy realities of 21st-century India?
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Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. The Chandigarh Capitol Complex is a government compound designed by Le Corbusier, located in Chandigarh city in India. In 2016, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprised of three buildings: the Palace of Assembly, the Secretariat Building and the High Court, as well as four monuments: the Open Hand Monument, the Geometric Hill, the Tower of Shadows and the Martyrs Monument. Le Corbusier was charged with the Capitol Complex’s design, along with Pierre Jeanneret, his cousin; the British architectural couple Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew; and numerous Indian architects, from Aditya Prakash to Balkrishna Doshi to Urmila Eulie Chowdhury, to the nation’s first trained female architect. Following intellectual currents of the period, the plan exemplified principles of rational planning, modernist aesthetics and democratic governance, becoming a landmark as well as an ideological statement for the city. Still, nearly seven decades later, a pressing question emerges: how relevant is Le Corbusier’s architectural and urban vision in the context of a rapidly transforming Indian city? CAPITOL COMPLEX, CHANDIGARH designed by Le Corbusier & Team; UNESCO Management Plan by Abha Narain Lambah Associates, Chandigarh, India The inception behind the Capitol Complex occurred after India’s Partition in 1947, when Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, envisioned Chandigarh as a “new city, a symbol of India’s freedom.” A pure, modernist architectural paradigm, the complex employed béton brut (exposed concrete) and pioneering construction techniques that promoted modular scale and the integration of outdoor and indoor space. Spatially, the design adopts Le Corbusier’s “five points of architecture” featuring elements such as the pilotis, free façades and plans, horizontal windows and roof gardens. Additionally, concrete sun-shading screens (brise soleil), double-skinned roofs as well as reflecting pools that served as rainwater catchers transformed the structure into a passive climatic regulator. In fact, Le Corbusier once described the Complex as the materialization of some of the principles he advocated through his design of “Radiant City,” integrating nature, sunlight and human proportions. CAPITOL COMPLEX, CHANDIGARH designed by Le Corbusier & Team; UNESCO Management Plan by Abha Narain Lambah Associates, Chandigarh, India Returning to the present, there is a certain duality that resonates within the Capitol Complex. Politically, it functions as a seat for governance for both Punjab and Haryana — an arrangement that Le Corbusier and his team never anticipated. This coexistence of the two state governments results into an operational complexity that challenges the initial “open” design and original clarity of the plan. In parallel, the Complex is both a “living monument” (i.e. a UNESCO World Heritage Site), as well as a fully functional administrative building, thus intensifying the tension between strict preservation practices versus functional adaptation works. Specifically, installing HVAC systems, accessibility upgrades and digital infrastructure may clash with a more delicate and careful restoration required to maintain the structure’s integrity. Finally, looking at the Complex within its immediate urban fabric, its brutalist form — albeit impressive and symbolic — feels alien in relation to the cultural dynamics present in contemporary Indian cities. On the other hand, its architectural significance has transformed the site into a place of pilgrimage for architects, scholars and preservationists, where this dual identity — as both an artifact of modernism and a fully functional administrative institution — raises the dilemma between preserving the building’s monumental integrity or reinstating it to fit contemporary needs. CAPITOL COMPLEX, CHANDIGARH designed by Le Corbusier & Team; UNESCO Management Plan by Abha Narain Lambah Associates, Chandigarh, India Delving a little bit deeper into Chandigarh’s history, the city was designed according to a rigid grid that clearly separated residential, commercial, institutional and recreational zones, aiming to create order, efficiency and a higher quality of life. However, the city’s inconsistent growth, regional pressures and the uncontrollable emergence of urban sprawl has turned Chandigarh into a polycentric urban region that is now difficult to tame under the initial rigid plan. Furthermore, these fragmented regions have resulted to the creation of informal economies and settlements that need a looser approach in terms of spatial zoning and planning. Regardless of these conditions though, Chandigarh has somewhat preserved its initial modernist vision by placing an emphasis on green space, pedestrian paths and a general civic order. On the other hand, the city is enormously unprepared for contemporary challenges such as the lack of social housing, climate change and digital infrastructure. Within this context, the Capitol Complex becomes a poignant reference point that reveals and by extent tackles the stresses of long-term adaptability of modernist planning. Specifically, while its form is largely preserved, it can become reinterpreted as a place not only used for governance but also for public engagement through temporary exhibitions, civic gatherings and even cultural performances. By celebrating its monumental presence instead of viewing it as a disadvantage, the Complex could evolve into a shared civic communal space, abandoning its austere and impersonal modernist identity. More broadly, this approach can be applied at an urban scale, where other, more fluid forms of organization can become adopted and where the modernist ethos is reinterpreted instead of deserted. CAPITOL COMPLEX, CHANDIGARH designed by Le Corbusier & Team; UNESCO Management Plan by Abha Narain Lambah Associates, Chandigarh, India To conclude, Le Corbusier’s Capitol Complex stands as both a relic and a provocation, challenging architects to rethink modernist ideals, honor the architectural legacies of the past and use this as a framework to create more adaptable and sustainable civic futures. Perhaps using the Capitol Complex as a case study offers valuable insights into how (in this case) Indian cities navigate the complex challenges of identity, equity and resilience and could eventually serve as a model for reimagining modernist urbanism in cities around the world. Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. Featured Image: CAPITOL COMPLEX, CHANDIGARH designed by Le Corbusier & Team; UNESCO Management Plan by Abha Narain Lambah Associates, Chandigarh, India The post Concrete Dreams, Political Realities: Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex Today appeared first on Journal.
Where Light Lingers and Time Slows: Atmosphere as Structure in 7 Spiritual Spaces
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From memorials to gardens, these spiritual spaces share a common language of atmosphere and attention rather than a fixed typology or faith.
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The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. What makes a space spiritual? It’s not always an explicitly religious expression; in fact, often, it’s not. Sometimes it’s the quiet, the light, or the way a space seems to hold you in place, asking nothing but your presence. Spirituality doesn’t have to be served as symbols or sermons. It can be found in how a building slows you down and marks time. It can also be felt in how a space allows you to experience grief, peace, reverence or healing. This collection brings together seven A+Award-winning projects that explore what it means to design for the spirit. Each one reflects a different approach — some material, some spatial, some sensory — but all invite us to experience space in the most intentional and sacred ways. These spaces don’t follow a single typology. They’re not all churches, mosques or temples. Some are memorials, gardens, halls or centers. What ties them together is atmosphere and attention, not function or belief. Spirituality in architecture is not bound to faith alone. It lives in how spaces slow us down, open our senses, and connect us to something larger than ourselves. The seven projects in this collection show that a spiritual space can be made from rails and ballast, paper and plaster, water and light. What matters is the care with which they frame silence, movement and attention. Rails of Memory By Blaising Borchardt Studio, Lyon, France Jury Winner, Religious Buildings & Memorials, 13th Architizer A+Awards In Lyon, where trains once carried deportees to Auschwitz, Rails of Memory traces the history through distance and weight. A stretch of rail runs for exactly 3,850 feet (1,173 meters), representing one thousandth of the journey between Lyon and the camp. The memorial reuses real railway materials such as rails, sleepers and ballast to ground memory in matter. The designers aimed to turn movement into mourning and created a long silent procession. As visitors walk the path, there are no walls or symbols but the ground beneath them. It is a space that invites presence and in that presence, memory becomes sacred. Ritual Space By Geomim, Bodrum, Türkiye Jury Winner, Wellness and Spa, 13th Architizer A+Awards Ritual space lives up to its name by turning architecture into ceremony. The design consists of a network of narrow corridors and sunken courtyards that intend to slow the body down and draw focus inward. Geomim used rammed earth floors and plaster walls to echo the colors of the soil. They created skylights to pull sunlight into the dark chambers underground to guide visitors to sunlit terraces. The meditation pavilion at the center rises in a circular form that echoes the spinning motion of the Sema ceremony. In this project, shade, texture and light work together to lead visitors inward until their stillness feels complete. The Breeze Hall By SHISUO Design Office, Shanghai, China Jury Winner, Cultural Pavilion, 13th Architizer A+Awards In Shanghai, SHISUO Design Office transforms a fenced-off patch of woodland into The Breeze Hall. Trees once trapped behind barriers now stand on an open lawn, anchoring a steel pavilion with wing-like eaves. Visitors step into a vast space, forty-two meters long and filled with soft breezes drawn through the roof. Rainwater collects in a pool, feeding evaporation that cools the air. Plaster walls feel warm to the touch, and light shifts with the day. At sunset, the façade glows through branches, holding the quiet between sacred pause and daily return. Garden for the Eyes By c+d studio, Shanghai, China Jury Winner, Architecture +Art, 13th Architizer A+Awards In Shanghai, c+d studio creates Garden for the Eyes as an abstracted Jiangnan garden. Visitors enter a space built almost entirely from handmade paper, its fibers textured like nature. Light filters softly across walls, guiding the visitors’ view toward framed scenes and ink paintings placed with precision. Openings act as windows for the eyes, controlling the rhythm of what they see. Each step reveals a new composition, and each pause invites the mind to widen. Here, looking becomes a journey; and in that journey, the act of seeing turns into a quiet ritual. The ET-302 Memorial By Alebel Desta Consulting Architects and Engineers, Gimbichu, Ethiopia Popular Choice Winner, Religious Buildings and Memorials, 13th Architizer A+Awards In Gimbichu, the ET-302 Memorial guides visitors through absence, revelation, and healing. A main path retraces the flight’s last six minutes and forty-four seconds, leading toward four inclined concrete forms that mark the crash site. Each form carries the scale and texture of Ethiopia’s rock-hewn monuments, with plaques set like aircraft windows recording the lives lost. Underground and open-air spaces invite quiet reflection. Rock gardens, shaded walks, and a circular burial ground hold the weight of grief in stillness. Every step carries the story forward from loss, through remembrance, toward renewal. Diffuse Mirror By António Costa Lima Arquitectos, Portugal Jury Winner, Architecture + Light, 13th Architizer A+Awards On the edge of a dam, Diffuse Mirror rises like a pier into still water. Visitors step onto pinewood posts and into a chapel wrapped in a palisade of rough, conical sticks. Light seeps through narrow gaps, scattering across the floor, changing with the day and season. A single window draws their gaze to the water’s surface; another opens only to the sky. The cross, carved with the word “Agape,” anchors the structure in place. Here, sound, smell, and touch work with light to still the body and open the mind. Water Pavilion, Longqiyuan By The Design Institute of Landscape & Architecture, China Academy of Art, Wenzhou, China Popular Choice Winner, Architecture +Environment, 13th Architizer A+Awards In the valleys of Wenzhou’s Longqiyuan Scenic Area, Water Pavilion rests on a ridge between three bodies of water. Visitors approach under the shade of preserved trees, stepping into a space formed by three curved roofs. Each roof opens toward a different stretch of water, lifting to create an entrance and dipping low to meet the surface. Light filters through narrow seams, shifting as visitors move. Reflections ripple underfoot. From each angle, the pavilion offers a new composition of water, shadow, and time. The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. The post Where Light Lingers and Time Slows: Atmosphere as Structure in 7 Spiritual Spaces appeared first on Journal.
25 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Toronto
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Toronto seems to constantly be in a state of building boom; the city's best architects are leading major shifts in today's constructions.
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Toronto, Canada’s largest city, underwent an unprecedented building boom during the 20th and 21st centuries. From impressive condominiums, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Toronto-Dominion Centre, to historic structures like the Flatiron Building, Toronto is considered one of the most diverse architectural settings in the Western world. In the early 2000s, the city became an alluring site for postmodernist architects such as Daniel Libeskind and Frank Gehry. Their designs: the Royal Ontario Museum’s extension Michael Lee-Chin Crystal and the Art Gallery of Ontario showcase architecture that is far from conventional. Unsurprisingly, the focus of today’s Toronto-based architects has shifted to sustainability and natural materials. Mass timber construction has become the go-to material for mid-rise and high-rise buildings, such as the 80 Atlantic and T3 Bayside, while the city’s environmental goal to achieve net zero by 2040 is already underway. Social housing has also developed, introducing the concept of the “missing middle”, where architects design mid-scale residential projects, creating neighborhoods that sit in between the towers and the suburban single-family homes, thus monitoring urban sprawl. With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Toronto, Canada based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge. How are these architecture firms ranked? The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority: The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2025) The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2025) Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Toronto architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in Toronto, Canada: 25. Odami Odami is a Toronto-based design studio offering architectural and interior design services. The studio was founded in 2017 by Spanish architect Aránzazu González Bernardo (B.Sc.Arch, M.Arch: ETSAC, A Coruña, Spain; BCIN) and Canadian designer Michael Fohring (B.Sc.Arch, M.Arch: McGill University, Canada). The merging of Spanish and Canadian design sensibilities and cultures has been the focus of our practice since its inception. We seek to embody and bridge this duality, with work which is bold — yet elegant; unconventional — yet rooted in tradition; raw — yet refined; creative — yet grounded; original — yet timeless. Ultimately, guided by these qualities, and a passion for materiality and craft, our aim is to produce unique, one-of-a-kind projects that belong to their place and its story, and are a true reflection of their client. Some of Odami’s most prominent projects include: Deer Park House, Toronto, Canada Sara Restaurant, Toronto, Canada St Lawrence Reno, Toronto, Canada Beaches House, Toronto, Canada Aesop Yorkville, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped Odami achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 10 24. LGA Architectural Partners © LGA Architectural Partners LGA is an award-winning architecture firm with a diversified portfolio. We have been providing architectural services since 1989 and have a current team of 29 architects, including five partners and three associates, and an office manager. Our comprehensive consulting work in public and institutional sectors has proven our ability to find consensus while designing excellent buildings. Our designs celebrate the many ways to live and work. The challenges unique to each project are an opportunity to innovate, to be inspired and to demonstrate how good design improves people’s lives. We have extensive experience in talking to diverse client groups about their needs and a history of making architecture a rewarding and fulfilling experience. We never lose sight of the context. We know that buildings are part of a bigger picture — socially, environmentally and culturally — and aim to make each design progressive, sensitive and relevant. Some of LGA Architectural Partners’ most prominent projects include: The Native Child and Family Life Centre, Toronto, Canada Native Child Family Services Toronto – Longhouse, Toronto, Canada McEwen School of Architecture, Sudbury, Canada Garden House, Toronto, Canada Royal York Road House, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped LGA Architectural Partners achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 47 23. AGATHOM Established in 2005, AGATHOM is an award-wining architectural studio and workshop. Located in a landmark building in Toronto’s Corktown neighborhood, the firm is union of two distinct, yet complimentary voices. Adam Thom and Katja Aga Sachse Thom – partners in work and life – started the firm as an extension of a finely calibrated collaborative process built on a foundation of broad technical expertise and a dedication to craftsmanship. During its first ten years, the firm received more than its fair share of media attention. Contradictory words like intimate, monumental, playful, daring, rugged, graceful, idiosyncratic and familiar were often used to describe the work. Some of AGATHOM’s most prominent projects include: Dove, Toronto, Canada Rainforest Retreat, BC, Canada Still Point Cogs WASAGATHOM, Ontario, Canada The following statistics helped AGATHOM achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 5 22. dkstudio architects dkstudio is Toronto based architectural firm specializing projects in luxury retail, corporate interior and unique contemporary residential designs. Some of dkstudio architects’ most prominent projects include: White Box, Toronto, Canada Bungalow Renovation, Toronto, Canada Tao Sangha Healing Centre, Toronto, Canada Hong Kong Villa, Hong Kong East End Condos, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped dkstudio architects achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 23 21. PHAEDRUS Studio © PHAEDRUS Studio PHAEDRUS Studio is an award-winning Toronto and New York based design and architecture practice working across and between disciplines to design and create objects, spaces and architecture. Design is a process. Our role as designers is to foster that process through open-minded inquiry and dialogue while seeking to understand the dreams, desires and values of those we design for. Through playful exploration and guided collaboration, we reveal solutions that could not initially or individually be imagined. Driven by an understanding and passion for art, craft, and technology, we emphasize design solutions that perform over preconceived notions of style. We recognize that performance is relative to a given project’s unique constraints and opportunities and create physical expressions of the ideas and inspirations exposed by the design process. Some of PHAEDRUS Studio’s most prominent projects include: ODIN Cafe + Bar, Toronto, Canada THOR Espresso, Toronto, Canada TESSERACT HOUSE, Toronto, Canada HI-LO, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped PHAEDRUS Studio achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 20. Paul Raff Studio © Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. Paul Raff Studio is a creative practice that incorporated as a full services architecture firm in 2003. Its collaborative environment is dedicated to creative vision of the highest caliber. Based in Toronto, the studio assists clients locally and internationally to create projects where art becomes life. The studio is an internationally recognized leader in sustainable architecture, art and design. Each project is uniquely conceived for its particular situation, and advanced with proficient project management to achieve exceptional value and architectural quality. Projects and experience range in scale and scope, including residential, cultural, and commercial architecture, master planning and urban design, environmental and public art, private gardens and special features. Some of Paul Raff Studio’s most prominent projects include: Cascade House, Toronto, Canada Counterpoint House, Toronto, Canada Echo House, Toronto, Canada Madrigal House, Toronto, Canada Garden Pavilion The following statistics helped Paul Raff Studio achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 8 19. Reflect Architecture © Reflect Architecture At Reflect Architecture, our work begins with purpose: to create architecture that inspires. This place of inspiration is unique to each client and drives each design choice. Located through a process of discovery and conversation, we work with clients to produce experiential spaces that embody the unique values that motivate them. Committed to progressive thinking that honors integrity of the environment and those who inhabit it, our work looks to reflect the possibilities of architecture. Every project is a consideration of its people, its place. Centering our work in the today, we utilize relevant, contemporary materials and techniques to realize our clients’ diverse perspectives. Some of Reflect Architecture’s most prominent projects include: North Drive House, Toronto, Canada Lumea, Toronto, Canada Retreat, Regional Municipality of Peel, Canada Permission, Toronto, Canada Rejuuv, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped Reflect Architecture achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 21 18. BDP Quadrangle BDP Quadrangle designs for the good of clients and communities. BDP Quadrangle is one of Canada’s leading architecture, design and urbanism practices. Based in Toronto, Canada, our expertise spans designing for the full spectrum of the built environment including mixed-use, residential, workplace, retail, transit, media, education and health. We are the North American headquarters of BDP, which was founded in 1961 in the UK as an interdisciplinary design resource. Today, BDP comprises 1,300 people, operating from local studios across three continents. Transcending its growth, the studio’s philosophy has remained the same: to work as a multidisciplinary collective, applying knowledge and expertise to create ambitious projects at every scale. Quadrangle, a 35-year old practice well-known in North America for its design, business sense and integrity, joined BDP in 2019 and became BDP Quadrangle in 2020. Some of BDP Quadrangle’s most prominent projects include: Yonge Sheppard Centre, Toronto, Canada Bata Shoe Factory, Astra, Quinte West, Canada Samsung Experience Store at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto, Canada 1181 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada Corus Quay, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped BDP Quadrangle achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 77 17. B+H Architects © B+H Architects B+H Architects is a global, award-winning firm with a 70+ year legacy of building creative solutions for clients through the delivery of architecture, interior design, landscape, planning and other consulting services. We’ve worked with clients across the globe to design buildings and environments that are inspiring, memorable, functional and contextual. Founded in 1953 in Toronto, our firm operates from studios in eight cities around the world: Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates to deliver strategic consulting and high-value design solutions that shape spaces, communities, and economies. Today, our team includes more than 300 curious designers, place makers, strategists, storytellers, and creative human beings who believe in embracing change and challenging the status quo to deliver resilient, healthy environments that positively contribute to their communities and are characterized by vibrant human experiences. Some of B+H Architects’ most prominent projects include: SickKids Patient Support Centre, Toronto, Canada Zhongtai Retail Store, Beijing, China Abilities Centre, Whitby, Canada First Canadian Place – Recladding, Toronto, Canada University of British Columbia – AMS Student Nest, Vancouver, Canada The following statistics helped B+H Architects achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 36 16. Altius Architecture Altius has continued to move forward towards a complete, holistic and collaborative approach to building. We believe that the best buildings are achieved when architects, engineers, consultants, constructors and clients come together to achieve something greater than the sum of their individual parts. We subscribe to a team approach to building and believe that the confluence of architecture, structure, mechanical systems and building technology must meet at the commencement of the design process in order to successfully meet the needs of our clients, their budgets and respond to our modern times.We have established close relationships and continue to share knowledge with the best consultants available to us in the fields of structural, mechanical and sustainable systems design. Some of Altius Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Hewitt Avenue House Clearview Residence, Collingwood, Canada 360 Winnett, Toronto, Canada Ellis Park House, Toronto, Canada Beech House, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped Altius Architecture achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 24 15. CORE Architects © CORE Architects Inc. CORE Architects is an award-winning architectural and interior design firm based in Toronto, Canada. Since our inception in 1994, we have provided our clients with a complete range of integrated services for the planning, design and creation of built environments. CORE has been responsible for the design of 160 residential projects; 45,000 residential units; the urban-master planning of over 200 million square feet of residential development; numerous private residences; recreational and sports clubs; restaurants; hotels; resorts; offices and over 1500 retail rollouts. As responsible professionals, we consider our projects as more than discreet objects. In all our projects, we advocate appropriate densities that make the best use of the site, support mass transit options and provide healthy living environments for people. Some of CORE Architects’ most prominent projects include: 210 Bloor, Toronto, Canada Six50 King, Toronto, Canada Five Hundred Wellington, Toronto, Canada Fashion House, Toronto, Canada M City – Phase 1, Mississauga, Canada The following statistics helped CORE Architects achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 29 14. AAmp Studio © AAmp Studio AAmp is a BIPOC-led architecture and design studio committed to creating beautiful, informed and transformative experiences. We focus on design at multiple scales, ranging from commercial, cultural and residential architecture, to branding and graphic identity. We pride ourselves on an innovative, thoughtful, and collaborative approach to design: from initial concept through realization, we work closely with our clients to find creative solutions tailored specifically to their needs. In short, we believe design is a cultural experience that is layered, democratic and fun — so, let’s do it! Some of AAmp Studio’s most prominent projects include: Tower House, Maine Compartes Melrose, West Hollywood, California Sunnyside Townhouse, Toronto, Canada Artkive, Los Angeles, California Four Corners House, Machiasport, Maine The following statistics helped AAmp Studio achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 19 13. PLANT Architect Inc. © Chris Pommer/PLANT PLANT Architect Inc. is an award-winning practice that branches into the domains of architecture, landscape and design. Our studio operates across spatial scales and disciplinary borders to reveal a site’s potential, distill client-needs into a clear design vision and create timeless spaces that heighten one’s experience of a site, city, building or natural landscape. We specialize in institutional, commercial, and residential architecture and landscape architecture, interiors, urban infrastructure, feasibility studies, and master planning. We also offer a broad range of value-added services that include furniture and lighting design, public facilitation, and integrated graphics. Our interdisciplinary design approach allows us to build important connections between people, places and ideas, and it remains central to our firm’s ongoing commitment to public engagement. Some of PLANT Architect Inc.’s most prominent projects include: Face to Face | Tête à Tête, Toronto, Canada Canadian Firefighters Memorial, Ottawa, Canada The Sara Jackman Playground, Toronto, Canada East Point Park Bird Sanctuary Pavilions, Toronto, Canada Walmer Residence, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped PLANT Architect Inc. achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 46 12. RDH Architects © RDH Architects RDHA is a Toronto-based studio specializing in architecture for the public realm. Founded in 1919, the firm has a wide-ranging body of work, encompassing corporate headquarters, industrial facilities, academic buildings, transportation facilities, recreation centers, libraries, secure buildings and interiors. Over the past 15 years the current partners have focused on producing intelligent, concept driven architecture of the highest caliber. The firm now feels and acts like an emerging design studio, while our 100+ year legacy provides a solid backbone of technical and managerial experience. Consequently we have re-emerged as one of Canada’s most acclaimed design firms, winning more than 90 provincial, national and international awards –most notably five Governor General’s Medals, the 2018 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Architectural Firm Award, and the 2014 RAIC Young Architect Award for design partner Tyler Sharp. Some of RDH Architects’ most prominent projects include: Springdale Library and Komagata Maru Park, Brampton, Canada Guildwood GO Station, Toronto, Canada Scott Street Interlocking Signal Tower Generator, Toronto, Canada Waterdown Library and Civic Centre, Hamilton, Canada Centennial College Story Arts Campus Library, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped RDH Architects achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 13 11. Teeple Architects © Teeple Architects Teeple Architects shapes buildings through an open and collaborative process. Founded in 1989, our practice integrates sustainability and technical expertise with formal exploration to create buildings that are representative of the communities they serve. Our Toronto and Vancouver studios draw on the collective skills and expertise of a diverse and talented team of design professionals. Under the leadership of Principals Stephen Teeple (Founder), Chris Radigan (Emeritus), Myles Craig, Tomer Diamant, Avery Guthrie, Richard Lai and Wes Wilson, we work with discipline and imaginations to shape ideas into places that bring aspirations to life. Some of Teeple Architects’ most prominent projects include: Morgan State University Calvin & Tina Tyler Hall, Baltimore, Maryland Stanley A. Milner Library Renewal, Edmonton, Canada UBC MacLeod Renewal, Vancouver, Canada Sherbourne Common Pavilion, Toronto, Canada Sisters of St. Joseph Convent, Peterborough, Canada The following statistics helped Teeple Architects achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 27 10. PARTISANS © PARTISANS PARTISANS designs objects, designs architecture, designs cities, designs concepts and even ideas. We strive to make the improbable possible and the impossible viable, at all scales and media. Our curiosities are insatiable and our drive to create them is central to our project. We are an award winning, internationally published studio founded in 2012. Some of PARTISANS’ most prominent projects include: Canvas House, Toronto, Canada Grotto Sauna, ON, Canada Bar Raval, Toronto, Canada Fold House, Hamilton, Canada Windsor Peace Fountain The following statistics helped PARTISANS achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 24 9. Diamond Schmitt © Play-Time Diamond Schmitt is a global architecture firm designing transformative, purpose-driven and highly sustainable buildings from its four studios located in Toronto, New York, Vancouver and Calgary. Creating innovative design solutions while drawing inspiration from each site’s surrounding community, architectural and historical contexts, Diamond Schmitt’s visionary designs can be found in more than 50 cities around the world. Some of Diamond Schmitt’s most prominent projects include: United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial – International Design Competition Mirvish Village, Toronto, Canada Ingenium Centre, Ottawa, Canada Independent School Competition Buddy Holly Hall, Lubbock, Texas The following statistics helped Diamond Schmitt achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 35 8. Hariri Pontarini Architects © Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. Established in 1994, Hariri Pontarini Architects, is a leading Canadian full-service architectural practice known for creating modern landmarks such as the award-winning Bahá’í Temple for South America, the acclaimed McKinsey & Company headquarters in Toronto, the international competition-winning Ivey School of Business and the Governor General’s Medal-winning Schulich School of Business. Founded by Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini, the firm has delivered a broad range of institutional, commercial and residential projects, libraries, schools and academic buildings. Hariri Pontarini Architects has become known for designing projects of exceptional quality, with a strong conceptual basis derived from the specific needs and aspirations of each client. Some of Hariri Pontarini Architects’ most prominent projects include: 7 St. Thomas, Toronto, Canada Nicol Building, Sprott School of Business, Ottawa, Canada The Bahá’í Temple of South America, Santiago, Chile Ontario’s Celebration Zone, Toronto, Canada Tom Patterson Theatre The following statistics helped Hariri Pontarini Architects achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 5 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 19 7. Akb Architects © Akb Architects Founded in 2004, Akb Architects is the Toronto-based architecture studio of Robert Kastelic and Kelly Buffey, architects dedicated to the practice and art of building. The quest to capture the poetic and ineffable qualities of space manifests in Akb’s design process, which prioritizes a clarity of vision, attention to detail, and a rigorous commitment to conceptual intent. The work of the studio benefits from Robert and Kelly’s extensive training in both architecture and interior design; a comprehensive strategy results in buildings of exceptional resolution and an uncommon level of refinement. A unified and holistic approach to interior and exterior space merges building and landscape into a seamless experience, transforming the ephemeral into the tactile. Elements of volume, light, proportion and materiality are orchestrated to resonate and respond to each project’s unique site, context and program. Some of Akb Architects’ most prominent projects include: Story Pod, Newmarket, Canada Metrick Cottage and Boathouse, Ontario, Canada Whistling Wind Cottage, Pointe au Baril, Canada Muskoka Cottage, Canada Clearview Chalet, Collingwood, Canada The following statistics helped Akb Architects achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 12 Total Projects 17 6. Moriyama Teshima Architects © Moriyama Teshima Architects Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) is a team of architects and designers collaborating with visionary clients to build inspiring and enduring spaces that transform communities. Their extensive portfolio of Canadian and international projects comprises museums and art galleries, university buildings, schools, corporate and government headquarters, recreational facilities, libraries, restoration and renovation projects and urban/campus planning. The studio is made up of individuals who reflect the cultural diversity that defines our global present — a combination of industry leaders and young designers working together to design and deliver exceptional projects. They believe that the success of design is rooted in collaborative processes that approach challenges and solutions holistically, and that work at all times to integrate site, building, context and a plurality of perspectives into a built reality of which we can all be proud. Some of Moriyama Teshima Architects’ most prominent projects include: Makwa Waakaa’igan Indigenous Centre of Cultural Excellence, Sault Ste. Marie, Canada Limberlost Place, Toronto, Canada Place des Arts, Greater Sudbury, Canada Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) Headquarters and Multi-Tenant Complex, Toronto, Canada CREATING THE OSSTF WITH MASS TIMBER, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped Moriyama Teshima Architects achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 31 5. Atelier RZLBD RZLBD (Reza Aliabadi), is a Canadian artist and architect of Persian origin. He is the founder and principal of Atelier RZLBD. His repertoire of work extends to making arts, crafting objects, designing buildings, curating installations and publishing a zine called rzlbdPOST. His work has been distinguished with numerous accolades, exhibited in many venues, and celebrated in more than 100 print publications. In 2017, RZLBD was selected among the top emerging design talents in Canada. Some of Atelier RZLBD’s most prominent projects include: Opposite House, Toronto, Canada Shaft House, Toronto, Canada 5/6 HOUSE, North York, Canada Whale House, Toronto, Canada The Gallery House, Markham, Canada The following statistics helped Atelier RZLBD achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: Featured Projects 14 Total Projects 27 4. Dubbeldam Architecture + Design © Dubbeldam Architecture + Design Dubbeldam Architecture + Design is a multi-disciplinary design studio committed to creating thoughtful projects that embody sustainable approaches. Led by fourth-generation architect Heather Dubbeldam, the studio has garnered acclaim for its forward-thinking approach, design research endeavors and dedication to crafting sustainable environments. They are recognized as one of Canada’s leading architecture practices for their commitment to architectural excellence and dedication to social responsibility through advocacy. Dubbeldam’s work exemplifies bold design and meticulous craftsmanship. With a diverse portfolio incorporating a wide range of project types, their work ranges from homes, multi-unit residential projects, workspaces, hospitality, and mixed-use buildings to landscape design and architectural installations. Some of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design’s most prominent projects include: Bata Shoe Factory, Astra, Quinte West, Canada Dubbeldam Office, Toronto, Canada Bunkie on the Hill, Muskoka District Municipality, Canada Binary Spectrum, Kitchener, Canada Skygarden House, Toronto, Canada The following statistics helped Dubbeldam Architecture + Design achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 6 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 29 3. MJMA Architecture & Design photo: Shai Gil - © MJMA Architecture & Design MJMA is a Toronto, Canada-based design practice of 60+ designers and architects. MJMA has evolved from a 30 year strong legacy of making community buildings, to building communities — in towns and cities, on campuses, within organizations, and across playing fields. Our increasingly diverse portfolio speaks to an innovation culture at MJMA that drives all our designs. This spirit of innovation, cultivated with clients who are enthusiastic about creating meaningful architecture that positively contributes to the built environment, has resulted in more than 75+ national awards, including the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture and 2016 RAIC Architectural Firm Award. Some of MJMA Architecture & Design’s most prominent projects include: Queen’s University John Deutsch University Centre, Kingston, Canada John Innes Community Recreation Centre, Toronto, Canada Churchill Meadows Community Centre and Sports Park, Mississauga, Canada Neil Campbell Rowing Centre, St. Catharines, Canada UBC Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, Canada The following statistics helped MJMA Architecture & Design achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 35 2. KPMB Architects © KPMB Architects For more than three decades, KPMB has evolved in response to a changing world and worked to change it for the better. Established in 1987, KPMB is an internationally recognized architectural practice based in Canada. Our wide-ranging work has earned over 400 respected awards, including 18 Governor General’s Medals, Canada’s highest honour. Our founding partners, Bruce Kuwabara, Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg, have all received the Order of Canada for their personal achievements and for KPMB’s collective contributions to improving people’s lives through the built environment. In 2021, we expanded our leadership team, including the naming of seven new partners: Kevin Bridgman, Steven Casey, Phyllis Crawford, Andrew Dyke, Mitchell Hall, Paulo Rocha and Bruno Weber. As a full-service practice, we provide expertise in building design, interior design, master planning, workplace strategy, project management, stakeholder engagement and sustainable design. Some of KPMB Architects’s most prominent projects include: Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Isttaniokaksini/Science Commons – University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada Downsview, Toronto, Canada Wilson School of Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond, Canada The following statistics helped KPMB Architects achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 17 Total Projects 71 1. Omar Gandhi Architects © Omar Gandhi Architects Omar Gandhi Architects is a Canadian practice working globally, with a diverse portfolio that spans residential, hospitality, civic and cultural projects, as well as large-scale landscape interventions and innovative urban in‑fill. The firm’s work ranges from region-defining public projects to intimate interior and product design, demonstrating a rare fluency across scales. Founded in Halifax in 2010 and formally registered in 2012, the firm expanded to Toronto in 2016 and opened its Berlin studio in 2025, extending its reach into Europe while continuing to lead projects across Canada, the US, and the Caribbean. Raised in Brampton, Ontario, Omar Gandhi studied architecture at the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University before working in Toronto and Halifax. Some of Omar Gandhi Architects’s most prominent projects include: OG House, Halifax, Canada Top image: Prime Seafood Palace, Toronto, Canada White Rock, Wolfville, Canada Brar Residence, Toronto, Canada The Outlier Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas The following statistics helped Omar Gandhi Architects achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Toronto: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 23 Total Projects 35 Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking? With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year. Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York. An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted A Guide to Project Awards The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award. The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status: Project completed within the last 3 years A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value High quality, in focus photographs At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings Inclusion of construction photographs There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers. We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com. The post 25 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Toronto appeared first on Journal.
Screen Time, Redefined: India’s New Brickwork in 10 Projects
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Weaving brick into porous structures with modern lattices, India’s architects are proving that brick is an enduring yet evolving façade medium.
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Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. “You say to brick: ‘What do you want, brick?’” Louis Kahn’s oft-repeated question has found countless answers in India’s contemporary architecture. Across the highly diverse country (just think: over 120 major languages are spoken across the territory and nearly 20,000 dialects), brick is far more than a one-size-fits-all material. Yet, although the variety of brick architecture may reflect this multitude of localisms, shared traits can be seen across India. These ten projects demonstrate how Indian architects are expanding brick’s role beyond structural walls, embracing it as a porous skin that tempers heat and choreographs light. Whether rotated into woven screens, punctured into jaalis or layered into lattices, bricks are being used to weave vibrant ventilating veils. In many of these works, brick retains its load-bearing capacity, uniting structure and façade into a single, high-thermal-mass envelope. Elsewhere, it takes on the role of second skin, set away from the building to create breezeways, turning sunlight into geometric shadow patterns. From narrow city plots in Bengaluru to expansive garden villas in Gurugram, brick proves endlessly adaptable, marrying vernacular craft with contemporary form. Though it may be a thousand-years-old material, architects across India are making the case for brick as an indisputable marker of contemporary culture. Brick House By CollectiveProject, Bengaluru, India Photos by Benjamin Hosking In a rapidly urbanized Bangalore suburb, this family home reimagines load-bearing brick construction through a blend of tradition and contemporary form. Built atop the foundation of the family’s former house, the design employs hand-moulded table bricks whose natural irregularities lend warmth and tactility. Porous jaali screens and staggered projections break down solid walls, casting dynamic shadow patterns and allowing ventilation. A triangular central courtyard recalls the building’s original footprint, which generates visual and spatial porosity between public and private zones. Here, brick is both structural and expressive, mediating between historic craft and modern geometry in a context of intense urban change. Wind House By Design Work Group, Surat, India In Surat, this compact urban residence elevates brick from a structural medium to a central design language. An exposed brick façade, anchored by a dramatic arched opening and a contemporary metal jaali, forms a breathable, climate-responsive skin. Granite cladding complements the brick’s earthy hue, while vernacular-inspired brick ornamentation inside casts shifting patterns of light and shadow throughout the day. Integrated passive features — a wind tower, skylights and a planted terrace — enhance comfort while reinforcing the home’s dialogue with its environment. Again, here, brick is both expressive and performative, shaping the building’s identity while mediating light, air and thermal performance. Inside Out House By Gaurav Roy Choudhury Architects, Bengaluru, India On Bangalore’s outskirts, the Inside Out House juxtaposes a stark, monolithic exterior with a warm, tactile interior defined by brick. Bands of exposed brick weave through raw concrete, punctuating the white volume and hinting at the layered world within. Inside, continuous brick walls dissolve boundaries between spaces, structuring transitions and scaling rooms through subtle shifts in texture and perforation. Light filters through patterned brickwork and treetops, animating interiors with dappled shadows. Both structural and atmospheric, brick anchors the house’s intimate gardens, mezzanines and roof terraces while unifying its contrasting public and private realms. The House in 1970 By Architects Collaborative, New Dehli, India In a dense New Delhi neighborhood, this dual-family home uses brick as both skin and climate mediator. A permeable brick jaali wraps the building’s length, its gradient weave peaking at the central courtyard and tapering toward the ends to balance privacy with daylight. The porous envelope allows natural ventilation while uniting shared and private spaces across two duplex units. Inside, raw fly-ash brick is paired with distressed concrete, terrazzo and natural wood, echoing a mid-20th-century Indian modernist palette. Brick here is decorative, but more importantly, it is also performative, acting as a continuous, breathable façade that augments the feeling of spatial openness. The Kenz House By Srijit Srinivas Architects, India Along Kerala’s NH66, The Kenz transforms a luxury residence into a climate-responsive brick landmark. Two skewed geometric volumes, realized entirely in burnt brick, incorporate lattice-like perforations that ventilate, filter sunlight and animate interiors with shifting patterns. Courtyards, pools and skylit breezeways weave greenery and air through living spaces, while private landscaped courts are enclosed by brick louvers for privacy and cooling. The sloping roof manages monsoon rains and reduces heat gain, supporting the home’s net-zero energy profile. Inside, warm teak, marble and raw cement ceilings complement the rustic façade. In addition to its load-bearing capacity, brick acts climate tool, uniting elegance with environmental performance. Safdarjang Residence | Ode to Kahn By Amit Khanna Design Associates, New Delhi, India In New Delhi, this apartment building pays tribute to Louis Kahn with a square brick façade punctuated by a monumental circular void. The thin brick tiles, mounted on a stainless-steel framework, form a precise tensioned screen that tempers light and frames the sky, recalling Kahn’s mastery of geometry and shadow. Inside, exposed brick walls meet board-formed concrete and locally sourced stone, while a central courtyard draws air and daylight deep into the plan. Durable, high-thermal-mass brick reduces reliance on mechanical systems, underscoring the building’s sustainable ethos. Brick is on double duty in the design, by both paying homage to a beloved architect and and acting as a high-performance envelope. Narrow Brick House By Srijit Srinivas Architects, Thiruvananthapuram, India On an exceptionally narrow plot in Thiruvananthapuram, this residence uses exposed brick to add warmth and rhythm to a compact, light-filled plan. Yet, it also takes on a crucial role for the building’s climactic performance. Brick louvers on the master bedroom balcony temper breezes and filter sunlight, while an internal courtyard draws daylight into adjacent living and dining spaces. The brick surfaces pair with exposed concrete elements, creating textural contrast and visual depth. Double-height volumes, stepped floor plates and open connections between rooms counteract the site’s spatial constraints. Here, brick works as a functional, space-enhancing material, shaping privacy and airflow. At the same time, it the home benefits from its ornamental quality, as the brick imbues the space with a sense of expansiveness in a tight urban footprint. 40/60 House By Amit Khanna Design Associates, Gurugram, India In Gurgaon, the 40/60 House transforms zoning setbacks into a 2,150-square-foot (200-square-meter) garden, with brick playing a key role in the architectural strategy. An L-shaped plan wraps around the green space, giving most rooms dual garden views. On the west façade, a dense brick screen filters harsh sun, casting a warm glow into interiors, while deep overhangs shade living and sleeping areas. Locally sourced brick and stone are paired with durable materials chosen for longevity. In addition to generating a tactile and visually captivating façade to compliment the greenery, the low-maintenance brick finish acts as a climatic buffer. Brick Weave House By 4site architects, Bangalore, India In Bangalore’s historic Cubbonpet, the Brick Weave House transforms a bachelor client’s family weaving heritage into a façade of rotated bricks threaded on steel rods. This mixed-use building stacks two commercial floors below a compact residential duplex, with the south-facing frontage wrapped in woven brick screens that filter light and air while keeping out rain and birds. The angled bricks create shifting hexagonal light patterns by day and glow like a lantern at night, enlivening the narrow alley. The brick’s architectural expression is performative, in a sense, as it animates the interior with the dance of ever-changing light. Retro Brickhaus By minimaldetails, Kochi, India In Ernakulam, Retro Brickhaus reuses the foundation of an ancestral home, reducing material consumption and grounding the design in history. The compact Vastu-planned layout revolves around a central ventilation shaft, drawing light and air deep into the interiors. A striking façade of 10-hole wirecut bricks and W-pattern jaalis screens a private balcony, filtering views, light and breeze while addressing a high-rise opposite. In the design, brick is both expressive and essential. By balancing vernacular materiality with measured modern interventions, the house delivers warmth and efficiency, offering rooted elegance on a tight site. Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. The post Screen Time, Redefined: India’s New Brickwork in 10 Projects appeared first on Journal.
35 Best Architecture and Design Firms in New York
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These architecture firms are leading the way in New York and beyond.
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New York is arguably the epicenter of the architectural industry in the United States, with more than 20,000 licensed architects and well over 1,000 firms working in the state. At its heart, New York City (NYC) is home to a thriving community of architects, interior designers, landscape architects, engineers and contractors, with projects ranging from residential and retail to cultural and commercial. Construction firms generated an estimated $84 billion in economic activity in 2018, representing 10 percent of New York City’s total economic output. With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in New York based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge. How are these architecture firms ranked? The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority: The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2025) The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2025) Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of New York architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 35 best architecture firms in New York: 35. John Mini Distinctive Landscapes © Raad Studio At John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, we make places beautiful. For 40 years, John Mini Distinctive Landscapes has provided the highest quality landscape services to commercial and corporate accounts. Today, we continue to be the industry leader in cutting-edge indoor and outdoor landscaping and holiday design. With over 1400 commercial clients, and working with the most notable developers and architects in the metropolitan tri-state area, our innovative craftsmanship and distinctive service can be witnessed in the most recognized plazas, atriums and corporate properties. The Winter Garden at the World Financial Center, one of the best examples of American architecture, with its towering 50 foot trees, has been a client for 20 years. Some of John Mini Distinctive Landscapes’s most prominent projects include: The Lowline Lab, New York City, New York The following statistics helped John Mini Distinctive Landscapes achieve 35th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 3 Total Projects 1 34. Martha Schwartz Partners © Martha Schwartz Partners Situated at the intersection of landscape, art, and urbanism, Martha Schwartz Partners is committed to the design of urban landscapes and the public realm as the foundation for sustainable cities that are healthy across all aspects and sectors of urban life. Some of Martha Schwartz Partners’ most prominent projects include: Beiqijia Technology Business (BTB) District, Beijing, China Zigong Dongxingsi Precinct Riverfront Park, Zigong, China Vilnius Plaza, Vilnius, Lithuania Fengming Mountain Park, China Sowwah Square, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates The following statistics helped Martha Schwartz Partners achieve 34th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 22 33. 1100 Architect © 1100 Architect 1100 Architect is a New York-based firm that has delivered award-winning projects for clients around the world. Founded in 1983 by David Piscuskas, FAIA, LEED AP, and Juergen Riehm, FAIA, BDA, the studio provides services in architecture, interior design, urban design, and master planning, along with consultation in environmental review, historic landmark assessment, and sustainability planning. With a second studio in Frankfurt, Germany, the 70-person office works at all scales and across many markets, with a record of built work for educational institutions, local and federal governments, cultural organizations, commercial workplaces, and residential clients. We are committed to providing the highest level of client services, maintaining clear and consistent communication, proactively anticipating client needs, and endeavoring to make the process of working with us as smooth and efficient as possible. Some of 1100 Architect’s most prominent projects include: University of Pennsylvania, Perry World House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Böllenfalltor Sports Hall, Darmstadt, Germany Convent of the Sacred Heart Future Lab, New York City, New York Hudson River House, Hudson, New York Queens Central Library, Children’s Library Discovery Center The following statistics helped 1100 Architect achieve 33rd place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 41 32. Marvel © Raquel Perez Puig Marvel is dedicated to shaping public space, designing for institutional growth, and expanding economic and creative opportunities for a wide range of clients. Based in New York City and San Juan, our architects and urban designers integrate the built and natural environments in every project—from infrastructure development and adaptive reuse to master planning, block building, park and waterfront design, as well as multi- and single-family housing. We apply the same meticulous attention to detail to all scales and forms, with the resulting projects and spaces earning our reputation for sensitive and thoughtful design. Our strength comes from working with a diversity of clients. Some of Marvel’s most prominent projects include: Pierhouse and 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, New York Naval Cemetery Landscape, Brooklyn, New York Stonewall House, Brooklyn, New York Battery Maritime Building, New York City, New York Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center, Brooklyn, New York The following statistics helped Marvel achieve 32nd place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 34 31. ROGERS PARTNERS Architects+Urban Designers © ROGERS PARTNERS Architects+Urban Designers Rogers Partners is an award-winning studio of architects, urban designers and landscape architects. Our national design projects aim to advance urban life and culture and include academic, cultural, civic institutions, mixed-use developments and parks. We believe that great design engages all disciplines and that the spaces we create are as important as buildings and forms. Some of ROGERS PARTNERS Architects+Urban Designers’ most prominent projects include: The St. Pete Pier, Saint Petersburg, Florida Nanotronics Cubefabs Henderson-Hopkins School, Baltimore, Maryland Nanotronics Smart Factory, Brooklyn, New York Galveston Bay Park, Houston, Texas The following statistics helped ROGERS PARTNERS Architects+Urban Designers achieve 31st place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 22 30. MA | Morris Adjmi Architects © MA | Morris Adjmi Architects Morris Adjmi, FAIA established Morris Adjmi Architects (MA) in 1997 following a 13-year collaboration with Pritzker Prize-winning architect Aldo Rossi. On that strong foundation, Morris built a design practice dedicated to interpreting the historic forces that shape cities to create buildings that are both contextual and contemporary. While continuing to be inspired by history and tradition, today, MA is recognized for its creative use of new materials and technologies, sophisticated, sustainable designs, and thoughtful engagement with the arts. Each design decision is guided by a deep appreciation for, and understanding of, the integral architectural, cultural, civic, environmental, and economic forces that shape a project. Some of MA | Morris Adjmi Architects’ most prominent projects include: 520 West 20th, NNew York City, New York The Grand Mulberry, New York City, New York 837 Washington, New York City, New York UC Berkeley Anchor House Dormitory, Berkeley, California Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn, New York The following statistics helped MA | Morris Adjmi Architects achieve 30th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 29 29. HOLLANDERdesign Landscape Architects © HOLLANDERdesign Landscape Architects Edmund Hollander Landscape Architects specializes in residential estates and gardens. Their experience covers a wide range of scales including estates and gardens in the Hamptons, Long Island’s North Shore, Connecticut, Westchester, New Jersey, Virginia and Europe; waterfront parks and developments; golf course restoration and planning; corporate headquarters; historic landscapes, horse farms; and urban roof top gardens. They bring to each project an attention to detailed design and environmental appropriateness encompassing, wherever possible, elements of the native or vernacular landscape. They utilize a combination of landscape architectural, horticultural and ecological talents to develop creative solutions to design problems. Some of HOLLANDERdesign Landscape Architects’ most prominent projects include: Abstracting Morphology, New York City, New York The REACH Expansion, Washington, DC The Church, Sag Harbor, New York Rubenstein Commons, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey East End House, New York City, New York The following statistics helped HOLLANDERdesign Landscape Architects achieve 29th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 13 28. S9 ARCHITECTURE © S9 ARCHITECTURE S9 Architecture is a team of 50+ designers dedicated to giving form to our client’s pragmatic needs, with a unique design approach rooted in “modern contextualism” and inspired by urban narratives. Rejecting pre-conceived ideas and stylistic preoccupations, each design solution is informed by programmatic, physical, environmental, economic and contextual forces. We believe our projects are part of a larger whole, acting as glue that helps bind and enhance their context for human experiences. Our design narratives include projects of all sizes, programs and complexities. Each project is unique to its context and it’s environment. We collaborate with our clients to understand their vision and goals, and utilize our design approach to achieve this through buildings and places that strengthen and improve the urban and human experience. Some of S9 ARCHITECTURE’s most prominent projects include: EMPIRE STORES, Brooklyn, New York WATER BUILDING II AT THE WHARF, Washington, DC 606 BROADWAY, New York City, New York 160 EAST 22ND STREET, New York City, New York DOCK 72, Brooklyn, New York The following statistics helped S9 ARCHITECTURE achieve 28th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 20 27. Local Projects © Local Projects Local Projects is a multi-disciplinary design studio with a portfolio spanning two decades in cultural, educational, and brand experience design and production. They are best known for technologically advanced work that drives emotional engagement. Located in NYC, they collaborate with a wide range of clients regionally and internationally, utilizing their unique capabilities and creative process to produce world-class projects in the fields of exhibition and media design, experience design, and media production. Founded in 2004, Local Projects is a woman-led business led by Whitney Rutter, CEO, and Samantha Wellbrock, COO, alongside Jake Barton, Founder & Chief Creative Officer. Some of Local Projects’ most prominent projects include: New York At Its Core, New York City, New York Greenwood Rising, Tulsa, Oklahoma Target Open House, San Francisco, California Le Visionnaire, Paris, France UK Holocaust Memorial The following statistics helped Local Projects achieve 27th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 7 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 9 26. LEONG LEONG © Naho Kubota LEONG LEONG is a New York and Los Angeles-based design office. Leong Leong’s internationally recognized work is driven by a commitment to ideas and their realization. Leong Leong believes the practice of design is a collective intelligence in constant dialogue with other disciplines, cultures, and thinkers to offer new possibilities to engage the city. This concept-based approach is coupled with a deep interest in methods of production that challenge norms and reveal new territories. Leong Leong was founded by brothers, Christopher and Dominic Leong in 2009. Some of LEONG LEONG’s most prominent projects include: City View Garage, Miami, Florida MA Curatorial Practice at School of Visual Arts, New York City, New York US Pavilion – 14th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy The Travel Agency 5th Avenue, New York City, New York Los Angeles LGBT Center – Anita May Rosenstein Campus, Los Angeles, California The following statistics helped LEONG LEONG achieve 26th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 17 25. LEVENBETTS © LEVENBETTS LEVENBETTS is an award winning New York City based architecture practice. The office was founded by David Leven and Stella Betts in 1997 and focuses on all scales of projects including urban design, public buildings, houses and housing, commercial workspaces, exhibitions and furniture. The office employs a variety of people and methods to arrive at innovative solutions that are the result of observation, research,integration of building systems and an economic understanding of each project goals. Our talented multi-skilled staff and consultants collaborate in the process of making architecture that runs from an intense analysis of programming, research of building systems, design of environments and finally to on-site construction administration. Some of LEVENBETTS’s most prominent projects include: ZOID, Columbia County, New York Square House, Stone Ridge, New York East Flatbush Library, Brooklyn, New York 36SML Beach House, Amagansett, New York ZOID House, Columbia County, New York The following statistics helped LEVENBETTS achieve 25th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 14 24. Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design © Emile Dubuisson Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design was founded in 2002 by partners B. Alex Miller and Jeff Taylor. The firm is based in New York with fabrication facilities in the Berkshires and has a portfolio of projects that include residential, retail, gallery spaces, and installations alike. Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design collaborates with a diverse clients from both the United States and abroad. Design PhilosophyThe firm’s research trajectories often focus on mining materials and ideas from contexts that are most ‘accessible’, both physically and conceptually. Physically, Taylor and Miller are active participants in their projects’ fabrication, and this participation often starts with a seemingly mundane palette of materials; manila rope, fishing line, 4×6” aluminum flashing, or aircraft cable. Some of Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design’s most prominent projects include: OFFICE > ENTROPY, New York City, New York Collapsable Workstations Duke of Montrose, Brooklyn, New york Salvage Swings, Manhattan, New York Lake House, Massachusetts The following statistics helped Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design achieve 24th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 16 23. WXY architecture + urban design © WXY architecture + urban design WXY is an award-winning, studio-based multidisciplinary practice focusing on innovative approaches to public space, structures and cities. Celebrated as much for its focus on community and urban design as for the firm’s agility with incorporating new technologies and green design, WXY excels in complex urban challenges, education and civic buildings, parks and waterfront developments, and other projects ranging from furniture designs to city master plans. Claire Weisz is founding principal of the New York-based practice, working alongside partners Mark Yoes, Layng Pew and Adam Lubinsky. WXY has received the League Prize and an Emerging Voice in 2011 from The Architectural League. Some of WXY architecture + urban design’s most prominent projects include: Brooklyn Navy Yard Master Plan, Brooklyn, New York Rebuild by Design Arverne East Coastal Conservation Center and Nature Preserve, Queens, New York Kearny Point Building 78 Annex, Kearny, New Jersey Downtown Brooklyn Public Realm Action Plan, Brooklyn, New York The following statistics helped WXY architecture + urban design achieve 23rd place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 33 22. COOKFOX Architects © COOKFOX Architects COOKFOX is an architectural studio dedicated to a vision of integrated, environmentally responsive design. We believe good design is sustainable and we are committed to being wise stewards of our shared natural and cultural resources. Guided by our passion for excellence, belief in the collaborative process, and persistent curiosity, COOKFOX pursues projects that allow us to fundamentally re-think how people interact with buildings and the natural environment. Starting with intensive research, we seek to understand each unique project in its environmental, cultural, and historical context. The work we do engages with layers of time and promotes a strong sense of place. Inspired by the legacy of artistry in architecture, we use technology and traditional techniques to bring the distinctive qualities of well-crafted materials and details into every project. Some of COOKFOX Architects’ most prominent projects include: Betances Residence, The Bronx, New York Terminal Warehouse, New York City, New York One South First and Ten Grand, Brooklyn, New York 100 Vandam, New York City, New York CITY TOWER, Brooklyn, New York The following statistics helped COOKFOX Architects achieve 22nd place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Finalist 7 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 39 21. Future Green Studio © Future Green Landscape Architecture DPC Future Green Studio is a distinctive and innovative landscape design firm based in Brooklyn, New York. We are thoughtful stewards of our changing climate and creative shapers of our built environment. We are at the forefront of Landscape Urbanism—a design movement that combines a deep understanding of plants, people, and places. We recognize that all the complex systems, forces, and patterns of Nature do not stop at the city limits. Some of Future Green Studio’s most prominent projects include: EMPIRE STORES, Brooklyn, New York Silo City 520 West 28th, Manhattan, New York Pool Farm, New York City, New York Gramercy Townhouse, New York City, New York The following statistics helped Future Green Studio achieve 21st place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 8 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 27 20. nARCHITECTS © Michael Moran nARCHITECTS is a Brooklyn-based architectural studio led by founding partners Eric Bunge and Mimi Hoang and principal Amanda Morgan. Our work instigates interactions between buildings, public space, and their dynamically changing context. Across social and environmental change, we empower the communities with whom we work and design architecture for a world in flux. In our projects such as Carmel Place (NYC’s first micro unit building), the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center, the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, A/D/O and the renovation of Chicago Navy Pier, nARCHITECTS is tackling the most pressing issues that our cities face – how we live, work and activate public spaces in response to our nation’s housing shortage, evolving modes of work and the need for diverse engagement in the public realm. Some of nARCHITECTS’ most prominent projects include: Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center, Wantagh, New York Shanghai Library East Hall Hudson River Park’s Gansevoort Peninsula, New York City, New York Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio The following statistics helped nARCHITECTS achieve 20th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 24 19. Desai Chia Architecture © Desai Chia Architecture PC Desai / Chia Architecture is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm with a distinctive portfolio of commercial, retail, and residential projects. We focus on providing our clients with compelling, customized environments that allow them to collaborate, innovate, and thrive. We believe in involving the client in an engaged, collaborative way. Our projects interweave technology, sustainability, material innovation, and a meticulous attention to details. We encourage a multi-disciplinary design process and work closely with a specialized team of consultants and engineers to ensure a precision and attention to detail that is essential to ‘well-made’ and authentic design. Our projects have been published internationally and have won multiple American Architecture Awards, AIA Design Awards, Interior Design Best of Year Awards, Good Design Awards, and Residential Architect Design Awards. Some of Desai Chia Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Spark Capital Mercer, New York City, New York Michigan Lake House, Leelanau County, Michigan Photographer’s Loft, New York City, New York Betaworks, New York City, New York Ledge House, Cornwall, Connecticut The following statistics helped Desai Chia Architecture PC achieve 19th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 20 18. REX © REX REX is an internationally acclaimed architecture and design firm based in New York City. Believing architecture should actively empower its users and communities—not simply be a representational art—REX challenges and advances building paradigms and promotes the agency of architecture. This ethos guides the studio’s aspiration to produce inventive designs so functionally specific that they offer new and inspiring aesthetic experiences. REX’s designers of varied cultural, social, and educational backgrounds are led by Founding Principal Joshua Ramus, and Associate Principals Alysen Hiller Fiore, Adam Chizmar, and Raúl Rodríguez García. Some of REX’s most prominent projects include: Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, New York City, New York Vakko Fashion Center & Power Media Headquarters, İstanbul, Türkiye Equator Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2050 M Street, Washington, DC The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island The following statistics helped REX achieve 18th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 5 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 27 17. Studio Link-Arc © Studio Link-Arc, LLC Based in New York City, Studio Link-Arc is an international team of architects and designers. Our name, Link-Arc, refers to the practice’s collaborative nature as well as the company’s mission, which is to work across disciplines to create strategy and design in the fields of urban planning, architecture, spatial art and landscape. We accomplish this by linking knowledge, resources, and intelligence, from multiple perspectives and diverse backgrounds. Our body of work includes innovative projects at all scales. Some of Studio Link-Arc’s most prominent projects include: Banu Restaurant, Zhengzhou, China Shenzhen Bay Gallery, Shenzhen, China China Resources Archive Library, Shenzhen, China The Loop, Shenzhen, China Nanjing Art Center, Nanjing, China The following statistics helped Studio Link-Arc, LLC achieve 17th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 11 Total Projects 20 16. WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism © WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism is at the forefront of architectural design practices that are redefining the relationships between landscape, architecture, infrastructure, and art. The firm’s projects are noted for clarity of vision, bold and iconic forms, and material innovation. Named one of North America’s “Emerging Voices” by the Architectural League of New York, WEISS/MANFREDI’s distinct vision was recognized with the Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as the Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal and the New York AIA Gold Medal. The firm’s design for the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, awarded by international competition, integrates art, architecture, and ecology in a new model for waterfront development. Some of WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism’s most prominent projects include: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York The West Conservatory at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennysylvania Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park, Queens, New York Brooklyn Botanic Garden Robert W. Wilson Overlook, Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center, Brooklyn, New York The following statistics helped WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism achieve 16th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 9 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 28 15. SHoP Architects © SHoP Architects We are a new generation of architects. Since 1996, SHoP has modeled a new way forward with our unconventional approach to design. At the heart of the firm’s method is a willingness to question accepted patterns of practice, coupled with the courage to expand, where necessary, beyond the architect’s traditional roles. We come to each new project with open minds, an expert team, and a collaborative process that adapts itself specifically to the problem at hand. This freedom to be nimble allows us to effectively address a broad range of issues in our work. Some of SHoP Architects’s most prominent projects include: Uber Headquarters, San Francisco, California LaGuardia Airport Master Plan TalkBox, United States Domino Park, Brooklyn, New York American Copper Buildings, New York City, New Yorks The following statistics helped SHoP Architects achieve 15th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 8 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 42 14. Toshiko Mori Architect © Iwan Baan Toshiko Mori Architect is known for over thirty years of innovative and influential work in a diverse body of projects that have received numerous design awards. Mori’s intelligent approach to ecologically sensitive siting strategies, historical context, and innovative use of materials reflects a creative integration of design and technology. Her designs demonstrate a thoughtful sensitivity to detail and involve extensive research into the site conditions and surrounding context. The work of TMA combines a strong conceptual and theoretical approach with a thorough study of programmatic needs and practical conditions to achieve a design that is both spatially compelling and pragmatically responsive. Toshiko Mori Architect has worked on a broad range of programs including urban, civic, institutional, cultural, residential, museum and exhibition design. Some of Toshiko Mori Architect’s most prominent projects include: Thread Artist Residency, Sinthian, Senegal Fass School and Teachers’ Residences, Senegal Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch Renovation, Brooklyn, New York Peter Freeman Gallery, New York City, New York 277 Mott Street, New York City, New York The following statistics helped Toshiko Mori Architect achieve 14th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 14 13. Fogarty Finger © Alexander Severin Architectural Photography Fogarty Finger is committed to redefining the urban built environment through projects that are as evocative as they are pragmatic. The firm’s award-winning work captures the spirit of its surroundings, while creating a layered sense of materiality and refinement. The end result encapsulates smart design solutions that are responsive to the moment yet timeless in appeal. The firm’s array of prominent commercial and residential projects showcases its strength in a dual concentration in architecture and interior design, both distinguished with its thoughtful and deliberate approach. The architecture practice has authored a number of notable large-scale ground-up projects in NYC as well as nationally. Some of Fogarty Finger’s most prominent projects include: Dock 72 Lobby at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York Rockefeller Group HQ, New York City, New York 757 Third Avenue – Stair, Manhattan, New York 512 West 22nd St., New York City, New York NOVA, Queens, New York The following statistics helped Fogarty Finger achieve 13th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 11 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 15 12. ODA © ODA We are leading a quiet but unyielding revolution to replace the dogma of resigned and compromised city living for one that enriches our lives and adapts to our needs. We can and must rethink our reliance on the extruded big box concept, and instead design permeable buildings to help restore our relationship to nature. Our collective and individual consciousness is constantly fluctuating by the context we actively shape. Radical change to the common built environment doctrine is a crucial element in maintaining our physical and psychological wellbeing. Some of ODA’s most prominent projects include: POST Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands 10 Jay, Brooklyn, New York 62 Reade Street, New York City, New York Terrarium Cheong-Dam, Seoul, South Korea 371 Broadway, New York City, New York The following statistics helped ODA achieve 12th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 43 11. Handel Architects © Handel Architects Handel Architects LLP is an architecture, interior design, and planning firm that began in New York City in 1994. Today the practice is led by Founding Partner Gary Handel alongside Partners Blake Middleton, Glenn Rescalvo, Frank Fusaro, and Michael Arad. Handel Architects is working on projects across North America, South America, the Middle East, and Asia, with more than 150 architects, interior designers, planners, and support staff from offices in New York City, San Francisco, and Hong Kong. The firm has gained national and international recognition for work such as the Dream Downtown Hotel in New York City, the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City, the Millennium Tower in San Francisco, and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington DC’s Georgetown neighborhood. Handel Architects has won numerous Design Awards and is regularly featured in architectural journals and design publications. Some of Handel Architects’ most prominent projects include: 170 Amsterdam, New York City, New York National September 11 Memorial, New York City, New York Sendero Verde, New York City, New York Millennium Tower Boston, Boston, Massachusetts The House at Cornell Tech, New York City, New York The following statistics helped Handel Architects achieve 11th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 11 Total Projects 84 10. Guy Nordenson and Associates © Steven Holl Architects Founded in 1997 on the principle of close collaboration as an essential basis of design, Guy Nordenson and Associates (GNA) is a New York–based structural engineering practice that has established itself as an effective partner in the design and construction of complex and challenging projects. These include recently completed projects like the Corning Museum of Glass Contemporary Art + Design Wing in Corning NY with Thomas Phifer and Partners, the Kimbell Art Museum Expansion in Fort Worth TX with Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York with SANAA and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion in Kansas City MO with Steven Holl Architects. Some of Guy Nordenson and Associates’ most prominent projects include: The Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, Texas Day’s End, New York City, New York Nancy and Rich Kinder Museum Building, Houston, Texas Salvage Swings, New York City, New York Linked Hybrid, Beijing, China The following statistics helped Guy Nordenson and Associates achieve 10th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 7 Featured Projects 14 Total Projects 21 9. SCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE © SCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DPC We are a collaborative landscape architecture and urban design practice that shapes beloved places that are socially vibrant and ecologically restorative. Every scale is essential. From 100-mile river corridors to rooftop microplazas, our work combines design excellence and a deep knowledge of ecology to regenerate, connect, and transform the built environment. We are biased toward action, implementation, and learning by doing. To meet the climate crisis, society must simultaneously shift to a renewable economy and adapt our landscapes for the change to come. SCAPE partners with cities, non-profits, and developers to physically transform our world to meet the moment. We center biodiversity and love for the natural world as a climate solution in all of our work. We see ourselves as co-designing alongside the plants, animals, and of course, people that we share space with on the planet. Some of SCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE’s most prominent projects include: Milstein Hall, Ithaca, New York Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center, Brooklyn, New York Rebuild by Design Digital Water i-Pavilion, New York City, New York Rescue Company 2, New York City, New York The following statistics helped SCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DPC achieve 9th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 26 8. ikon.5 architects © Brad Feinknopf Founded in 2003 and dedicated to providing its clients with innovative design solutions that exhibit a high level of craft, ikon.5 architects has earned a reputation among clients and peers as a forward-thinking studio of nimble and creative designers that see every project as an opportunity for design excellence. Proceeding with the belief that every site and client has a unique history or story to tell, we approach architecture as storytelling using the language of built form and landscape. Working collaboratively and across a range of building typologies, including libraries, university facilities, offices, cultural facilities, and government buildings, our work celebrates and reflects in its form-giving the great diversity of the communities and people we are privileged to serve. Some of ikon.5 architects’ most prominent projects include: Mori Hosseini Student Union | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida School of Art & Design at New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred, New York Health & Wellness Center | Suffolk County Community College, Riverhead, New York Campus Commons at SUNY New Paltz – Student Center, New Paltz, New York Louis Vuitton NY Offices and Showroom, New York City, New York The following statistics helped ikon.5 architects achieve 8th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 12 Total Projects 38 7. Diller Scofidio + Renfro © Diller Scofidio + Renfro Founded in 1981, Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) is a design studio whose practice spans the fields of architecture, urban design, installation art, multi-media performance, digital media, and print. With a focus on cultural and civic projects, DS+R’s work addresses the changing role of institutions and the future of cities. The studio is based in New York and is comprised of over 100 architects, designers, artists and researchers, led by four partners — Elizabeth Diller, Ricardo Scofidio, Charles Renfro and Benjamin Gilmartin. DS+R’s cross genre work has been distinguished with TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” list and the first grant awarded in the field of architecture from the MacArthur Foundation, which identified Diller and Scofidio as, “architects who have created an alternative form of architectural practice that unites design, performance, and electronic media with cultural and architectural theory and criticism. Some of Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s most prominent projects include: High Line, New York City, New York High Line Lighting, New York City, New York MA Curatorial Practice at School of Visual Arts, New York City, New York Columbia University Medical Center, Graduate Education Building, New York City, New York The Shed, New York City, New York The following statistics helped Diller Scofidio + Renfro achieve 7th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 11 Total Projects 22 6. Ennead Architects © Ennead Architects Ennead is a design firm of more than 200 architects, designers, and thinkers with offices in New York and Shanghai. and a presence in South Florida and California. Together, we bring contrasting areas of interest, expertise, and experience to every project. Since 1963, we have partnered with owners, developers, institutions, and governments to create architecture that is firmly rooted in humanist principles. We are led by nine partners who push a multi-disciplinary ethos centered around capturing knowledge and understanding lessons learned across all typologies, for the betterment of our planning, design, and delivery. Our focus is on creating iconic architecture grounded in our belief that, at its best, design communicates ideals, reinforces institutions, and acts as an agent of positive change. Some of Ennead Architects’ most prominent projects include: Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon Fostering Resilient Ecological Development United States Embassy, Ankara, Turkey, Türkiye Rethinking Refugee Communities Taopu Smart City, Plot 605, Shanghai, China The following statistics helped Ennead Architects achieve 6th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 15 Total Projects 44 5. CannonDesign © CannonDesign CannonDesign is an integrated design solutions firm focused on helping people continuously flourish. Whether designing for innovations in health, new scientific discoveries, equity in education or the next big idea in business, we use our Living-Centered Design approach to improve human life and catalyze widespread, systemic change. Our ability to help organizations solve challenges and seize opportunities is why Fast Company named us a World Changing Company and one of the most innovative design firms in the world. Some of CannonDesign’s most prominent projects include: St. Louis Public Library, Central Library Renovation, St. Louis, Missouri Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Canada California Institute of Technology Resnick Sustainability Center, Pasadena, California Richard J. Daley College Campus, Chicago, Illinois Kaleida Health System Clinical and Medical Research Building, Buffalo, New York The following statistics helped CannonDesign achieve 5th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 10 Featured Projects 18 Total Projects 45 4. Field Operations © Field Operations Field Operations is a leading-edge landscape architecture and urban design practice based in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Shenzhen and London. Field Operations is renowned for strong contemporary design across a variety of project types and scales, from large urban districts, master plans and complex planning sites, to small well-crafted, detailed design projects. Regardless of scale, there is a special commitment to the design of a vibrant and dynamic public realm, informed by the ecology of both people and nature, rooted in place and context. The ultimate aim is to bring beauty, health and vitality to the different kinds of environments where people live and interact. Some of Field Operations’ most prominent projects include: The Refinery at Domino, Brooklyn, New York Qianhai’s Guiwan Park, Shenzhen, China West End Square, Dallas, Texas High Line – Moynihan Connector, New York City, New York The Underline’s Brickell Backyard, Miami, Florida The following statistics helped Field Operations achieve 4th place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 12 A+Awards Finalist 14 Featured Projects 14 Total Projects 26 3. Rockwell Group © Rockwell Group Rockwell Group is a multidisciplinary architecture and design firm that balances creativity, innovation, and thought leadership with every undertaking. Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles and Madrid, the firm was founded in 1984 by David Rockwell, FAIA, and merges performance and architecture to create extraordinary experiences and built environments across the globe. Today, David and the partners guide our 350-person firm to pursue the possibilities for connection and community. Our shared passion for theater, technology, craft, and people leads us to approach the big picture with as much importance as the smallest detail. Some of Rockwell Group’s most prominent projects include: Sage by David Rockwell for Benchmark The View, New York City, New York Moynihan Train Hall Ticketed Waiting Room, New York City, New York Edge, New York City, New York Bathhouse, New York City, New York The following statistics helped Rockwell Group achieve 3rd place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 13 Featured Projects 23 Total Projects 94 2. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates © Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) is a global architecture practice dedicated to clients that represent the most forward-thinking companies and institutions around the world – visionaries that believe that value is not just producing return on investment but also in contributing to our urban environment and communities. Our portfolio spans more than 40 countries, and includes a wide range of projects from office and residential buildings to civic and cultural spaces to educational facilities. Some of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates’ most prominent projects include: Centra Metropark, Woodbridge Township, New Jersey SouthWorks, Ithaca, New York 18 Robinson, Singapore Huamu Lot 10, Shanghai, China Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates achieve 2nd place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 5 A+Awards Finalist 16 Featured Projects 30 Total Projects 189 1. Steven Holl Architects © Steven Holl Architects Steven Holl Architects is a 28-person innovative architecture and urban design office working globally as one office from three locations: New York City, Rhinebeck, NY and Beijing. Steven Holl leads the office with partners Chris McVoy, Noah Yaffe, Roberto Bannura and Dimitra Tsachrelia. Steven Holl Architects is recognized for the ability to shape space and light with great contextual sensitivity and to catalyze the unique qualities of each project to create a concept-driven design at multiple scales, from minimal dwellings, to university works, to new hybrid models of urbanism. The firm has realized architectural works around the world, with extensive experience in the arts, campus and educational facilities, and residential work, as well as mix use and office design, public works, and master planning. Some of Steven Holl Architects’s most prominent projects include: Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virignia Sliced Porosity Block, Chengdu, China Daeyang Gallery and House, Seoul, South Korea Meander Housing, Helsinki, Finland Maggie’s Centre Barts, London, United Kingdom Top image: Hudson L-House, Hudson, New York The following statistics helped Steven Holl Architects achieve 1st place in the 35 Best Architecture Firms in New York: A+Awards Winner 10 A+Awards Finalist 14 Featured Projects 34 Total Projects 49 Other Architecture firms to Consider Several other renowned architecture firms can be found just outside the Top 35, each of which is worth considering for their experience in delivering high quality, large-scale projects across typologies. They include: BKSK Architects, CAZA, HLW, SOMA, SITU Fabrication, O’Neill Rose Architects, Descience Lab, Studiohuerta, Barker Associates Architecture Office, O’Neill McVoy Architects, Post Company, ARCHITECTUREFIRM, XS SPACE, Terreform ONE, SABO project, Think! Architecture + Design, Dameron Architecture, The Urban Conga, Dungjai, Circular, Alloy Development, Two Street Studio, GRT Architects, ATMOS, Studio Modh Architecture, Guerin Glass Architects, STUDIOKCA, The Principals, Urbain DRC, Labscape Architecture, crème Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking? With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year. Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York. An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted A Guide to Project Awards The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award. The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status: Project completed within the last 3 years A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value High quality, in focus photographs At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings Inclusion of construction photographs There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers. We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com. The post 35 Best Architecture and Design Firms in New York appeared first on Journal.
Making Space for Nothing: 6 Times Hospitality Architecture Left Room to Breathe
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From breezeways to skywells, these A+Awards-winning hospitality projects prove that sometimes the most important spaces are the ones left unbuilt.
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The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy today. Architecture is not made of buildings alone. The spaces left unbuilt — including those areas in-between and unoccupied — are equally essential. They shape how buildings breathe, how people move, and how atmospheres unfold. In the right hands, these voids become active tools of orientation, comfort and expression. This is especially true in hospitality design, where guests arrive as strangers and need to feel settled quickly. In these spaces, the void becomes a guide. It organizes circulation, frames views, invites rest, and helps regulate light and air, often without attracting a lot of attention. This idea is not new. Architects have long used courtyards, breezeways and cloisters to solve spatial and environmental problems. But in the following A+Award-winning hospitality projects, voids are playing an active role in the architectural strategy itself. This collection breaks down how each project uses emptiness as function and not a filler. 1. Void-Led Modular Planning Dongmingshan Senyu Hotel by GLA Architects, Hangzhou, China Jury Winner, Hotels and Resorts, 13th Architizer A+Awards In this forest retreat outside Hangzhou, GLA Architects let the voids lead. They studied the metasequoia forest and chose to build around its natural gaps instead of carving into the land. These small, naturally occurring clearings shaped every spatial decision that followed. They designed modular pinecone-shaped guest rooms and positioned them like seeds between the trees. GLA also tapered the tops inward and lifted the bases to reduce disruption to the canopy and terrain. The voids beneath and between each unit were also left untouched, allowing the forest floor to breathe. From above, the buildings disappear into the woodland rhythm. This approach reversed the usual role of voids in design. GLA didn’t treat empty space as an afterthought. They used it to orient the architecture and protect the ecology. In this case, the voids didn’t follow the form; they formed it. 2. Environmental Mediation With A Linear Void Aruma Split Garden by RAD + ar, Jakarta, Indonesia Jury Winner, Restaurants, 13th Architizer A+Awards RAD+ar carved a semi-open spine through this multi-tenant complex, forming a linear void for light and some movement of air. Instead of sealing the mass or stacking functions, the architects split the building diagonally, anchoring the layout with a continuous central void. They oriented the structure north-south to preserve existing trees and used the spine to link a restaurant, mezzanine bar, and a rooftop garden. This spine became the anchor of the scheme, organizing spatial connections, ventilation strategies and flow of functions. The architects designed around the void from the beginning. They positioned the structure north-south to preserve the existing trees, then used the central split to link a ground-floor restaurant, a mezzanine bar and a rooftop beer garden. These levels are tied together visually by diagonal pathways and shifting floor plates, which mirror the spine’s angle and amplify movement through the site. Though the spine is not fully open to the sky, it is partially exposed and layered with ribs with colorful cove lighting. This semi-open condition allows for passive air movement. Cooler air enters at shaded edges while warm air rises to the top, relieving thermal buildup in the deep interiors. It is not a literal wind tunnel, but a calibrated thermal seam that buffers the internal climate while guiding circulation. The spine also limits direct solar gain and introduces filtered daylight across multiple levels. 3. Staging Light and Movement Through Layered Voids Ritual Space by GEOMIM, Bodrum, Turkey Jury Winner, Spa and Wellness, 13th Architizer A+Awards In Ritual Space, GEOMIM used voids as spatial and atmospheric tools. The project arranged subterranean and elevated volumes around open corridors, skylights, and courtyards that bring light, air, and movement into the architecture. The designers carved narrow transitional voids between structures, creating moments of pause and layering experiences along the visitor’s journey. These interstitial spaces filter daylight and guide circulation through a quiet sequence of shaded paths, glowing interiors and open terraces. They raised the central meditation pavilion above the ground and surrounded it by low, semi-buried chambers. This height contrast creates a sectional void that pulls focus upward. Skylights were also introduced in the underground spaces to channel natural light from above and produce a vertical rhythm that reinforces the project’s spiritual program. By layering the void both horizontally and vertically, GEOMIM defined how people move and feel. The result is a spatial gradient of stillness, elevation and ritual that transforms emptiness into experience. 4. Embedding Voids in the Façade Populus Hotel by Studio Gang, Denver Popular Choice Winner, Hotels & Resorts, 13th Architizer A+Awards In this case, the architects didn’t carved the voids from the plan; they carved them into the façade as view apertures, shading elements and daylight catchers. Studio Gang transformed a triangular lot into a layered hospitality vessel driven by facade logic. The façade design was inspired by Colorado’s native Aspen trees. The designers used large “eye-shaped” window openings on the ground floor that transition into smaller, shapeshifting apertures above. These voids bring in daylight, frame the city, regulate solar gain and provide mini-niches where guests can pause. Rather than punch holes in a flat façade, the architects carved dynamic voids calibrated to program, orientation and climate. The windows’ “lids” break the mass down and shape the experience of the visitors. 5. Using Voids to Regulate Light and Privacy ONDSAUNA by Amane Archi, Takeo, Japan Popular Choice Winner, Spa and Wellness, 13th Architizer A+Awards At ONDSAUNA, Amane Archi used gaps between vertical timber walls as intentional voids to manage privacy, light and social comfort. They arranged thick CLT panels in a rhythm that mimics the surrounding forest. Instead of building a completely solid enclosure, they created a loose perimeter where slits of space act as light filters and visual buffers. These stacked voids frame selective views of the forest while softening how bathers see each other. The layout avoids direct lines of sight and gives users the sense of being together without being watched. This design balances openness with discretion, which aligns with the Japanese culture. The absence of beams allows the walls to rise cleanly from floor to ceiling. This reinforces the vertical experience and keeps the gaps uninterrupted. Inside, these slits guide air movement and let the forest atmosphere bleed into the sauna space. 6. Using Voids to Organize Flow and Navigate Terrain Kimpton Huangshan by line+ studio, Huangshan, China Jury Winner, Unbuilt Hospitality, 13th Architizer A+Awards The architects behind Kimpton Huangshan used courtyards and skywells to shape both the experience and performance of the hotel. They studied the traditional spatial logic of Huizhou home and reinterpreted it to suit a steep, uneven site. Instead of building a continuous mass, they split the architecture into clusters and wove in courtyards as structural and environmental devices. These courtyards control light, guide movement, and connect guests to the terrain. They sit between public and private spaces and appear at the heart of each guest room unit. As guests move from terraces to alley to skywells, the voids create a consistent rhythm of compression and release. Each space transitions naturally into the next. By placing the courtyards along the sloped site, the architects let the building follow the land. The voids create clarity, orient visitors and soften the scale of the architecture. They also protect privacy without cutting off views. In these projects, voids are active design tools. They organize movement, frame views, regulate climate, and create atmosphere. By treating emptiness as structure, these architects show that what is unbuilt can be just as impactful as what is built, especially in spaces meant to host, comfort, and connect. The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy today. The post Making Space for Nothing: 6 Times Hospitality Architecture Left Room to Breathe appeared first on Journal.
Is AI Revolutionizing Architecture — or Is That Just How It Looks Online?
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- AI Architecture
Architecture might look smoother with AI, but behind the scenes, is it still business as usual?
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For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. Whether we like it or not, AI (or rather, the persistent talk of AI) is everywhere. At least that’s how it feels. Between all the LinkedIn posts, conference panels and endless hot takes, one cannot escape the constant declarations that artificial intelligence is transforming architecture as we know it. But behind the cascade of generative imagery, glowing headlines and chatGPT-fied think pieces, a quieter truth lingers: for most architects, AI hasn’t transformed much at all. (The Emperor’s new robe was generated in Midjourney, apparently.) Jokes aside, though, this does not necessarily mean that AI is not useful. In fact, some AI tools are genuinely making daily tasks faster or more visually compelling. But when it comes to core processes such as design development, construction documentation and regulation, this revolution that everyone speaks of hasn’t quite arrived. Not yet, anyway. So, is AI truly going to reshape architecture, or are we all simply mistaking aesthetic novelty for actual innovation? Let’s cut through the buzz and take a closer look at what’s happening and, well, what isn’t. What the Hype Promises AI generated image with Midjourney The architecture industry is no stranger to buzzwords, but few have arrived as forcefully as AI. Promises to “supercharge your workflow” (although you can find this one for pretty much any industry) or “redefine the future of design” are now filtering into headlines, product pages and panel discussions with remarkable speed. These phrases tend to center on disruption and the idea that this novel technology will soon be able to take over drafting, automate decisions and, as a result, fundamentally rewrite the design process. For some, this is exciting and welcomed with open arms. For others, it is anxiety-inducing. But both the early adopters and the anxious skeptics have something in common: they’re overestimating where things stand. Most of the examples used to support these bold claims aren’t tied to built projects. Instead, they come from concept-heavy visuals, generated for competitions, social media or speculative exploration. That’s not to say they don’t have value. Some of these tools are intriguing, to say the least. But so far, they’ve had more impact on how architecture looks than how it’s developed or delivered. The Reality on the Ground (And What’s Getting In The Way) AI generated image with Midjourney For all the sweeping predictions, AI is still finding its footing in practice. According to the State of AI in Architecture report by Chaos and Architizer, most usage today is limited to early-stage ideation: moodboards, sketch-based visual studies and rough massing concepts. These tasks are often carried out by individuals experimenting on their own, not through firm-wide workflows. In these early moments, the tools have value. Sketch-to-render tests by Keir Regan-Alexander, for example, demonstrate how AI can generate compelling visuals without the overhead of modeling, which is useful for feasibility studies or informal client previews. But even then, the results are often approximate. Outputs may distort scale, space or proportion, missing the nuance of a trained designer’s intent. As projects move into documentation or construction, the tools fall short. Most platforms still operate in isolation, without meaningful integration into BIM or project management systems. More than half of survey respondents cite limited architecture-specific functionality as a major obstacle, followed by integration issues, lack of training and time constraints. This means that trust and reliability remain sticking points. What works for conceptual imagery rarely meets the standards needed for permits or client deliverables. Beyond the technical gaps, many firms remain hesitant due to concerns around authorship, control and creative identity. Some firms are experimenting with custom models or internal tools, but most rely on generic platforms with limited oversight of outputs. So while AI is certainly in the room, it’s still sitting at the edge of the table. An occasional assistant in the early stages, perhaps, but not yet a partner in the full design process. Where Real Change Is Brewing While generative imagery tends to get the attention, some of the most useful applications of AI are showing up in less celebrated parts of the workflow. Energy modeling, climate analysis and daylight studies may not be flashy, but they shape critical decisions early on. Tools like Cove.Tool are already helping architects compare environmental outcomes without waiting on consultants or running multiple manual iterations. AI is also finding its footing in feasibility and early layout planning. Platforms like Hypar and TestFit can quickly sketch out options that take site constraints, zoning and rough cost estimates into account. These tools don’t pretend to design the project, but they can point toward what’s plausible, giving architects a clearer starting point. Documentation is another overlooked area. Automating things like repetitive tagging, dimension checks or early code reviews might not feel like innovation in the headline sense, but it’s exactly the kind of dull, slow work that could benefit from support. Real transformation may come not through disruption, but through relief, freeing architects from the friction that slows down everything else. So, Is It a Revolution Yet? Unsupervised: Refik Anadol by Refik Anadol Studio, Studio Winner, 2023 Architizer Vision Awards At this point, calling AI a revolution in architecture feels premature, but calling it irrelevant would be just as misleading. While it definitely hasn’t rewritten the rulebook of the industry, it is, in a way, rewriting the margins. Quietly, tools are chipping away at inefficiencies, simplifying analysis and making certain tasks just a little faster or smarter. The real shift might not come from viral images or sweeping claims, but perhaps it can come with small, steady integrations and tools that actually help architects do their jobs better, not just differently. For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. The post Is AI Revolutionizing Architecture — or Is That Just How It Looks Online? appeared first on Journal.
From “Do Less Harm” To “Do Net Good”: Regenerative Design Across Scales and Climates
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From filtering city air to sheltering coral reefs, these designs earn their keep in the ecosystems they occupy.
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The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. Sustainable architecture has been a standard practice in the industry for many years now. New buildings are required to comply with certain regulations in order to reduce the negative impact construction work has on the environment. However, while crucial, tactics such as lowering emissions, using less water or improving energy efficiency treat nature as something to be preserved or mitigated against. On the other hand, regenerative design flips this thinking by promoting a mindset where buildings and landscapes contribute positively to their environment, aiming not for zero impact but for a positive one. Bedford Heritage Park By Lemay, Bedford, Canada Popular Choice Winner, Sustainable Landscape/Planning Project, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Bedford Heritage Park is a project of land reclamation. Over 32 million tonnes of byproduct from limestone extraction were transformed into a thriving regional green space, regenerating a degraded, industrial land. Sustainable practices such as soil rehabilitation, extensive vegetation and runoff management systems protect the local ecosystem, while its meticulously designed infrastructure supports over 9,000 tree species. Horizon House By ONUS Architecture Studio, Greece Jury Winner, Unbuilt Sustainable Residential Project, 13th Architizer A+Awards The Horizon House is constructed in an attempt to give back to its inhabitants the land and the environment, promoting a minimally invasive design. Its construction and operation follow the principles of circular economy and regenerative design. Specifically, by planting native species of flora and fauna as well as installing green roofs with low-water-demand plants offer, preserve and enhance the local biodiversity, while improving the space’s interior thermal comfort. The house also runs on a geothermal system and small-scale wind turbines, achieving net-zero energy consumption. Finally, water is collected on the 3,230-square-foot (300-square-meter) planted roof and processed through a rainwater harvesting and filtration system that further reduces waste and effectively manages natural resources. Zero-Carbon Origami Airplane— Shanghai Lin’gang Starry Sky Theme Park Visitor Service Center By China Architecture Design & Research Group (CADG), Shanghai, China Jury Winner, Sustainable Cultural Building, 13th Architizer A+Awards The project’s intuitive roof design acts as an energy receiver. The folding roof shape is made of BIPV solar panels, which provide 107% of the building’s energy consumption that ensure the structure has zero-carbon emissions, while consuming zero energy. However, the project’s most innovative and regenerative aspect is its advanced air filtration system, which continuously monitors air pollution levels and automatically adjusts the air supply to optimize indoor air quality and reduce environmental impact. CATL Zero-Carbon Teahouse Xiadang By Hatch Architects, Ningde, China The CATL Zero-Carbon Teahouse, supports China’s “dual-carbon” goals. Specifically, the structure fully integrates BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics), ensuring a full-cycle green power supply, while the use of ultra-clear glass and UHPC enhance the building’s energy efficiency. In parallel, the complex is also comprised of an intelligent charging station, enabling bi-directional energy flow to efficiently power the teahouse. With an annual output of 55,000 kWh, it reduces carbon emissions by 54.8 tons, which is equivalent to planting 3,000 trees yearly. S-OASIS By TROP : terrains + open space, Thailand The S-Oasis project is designed as a green retreat for the community, acting as a bridge that connects the city with nature. The project achieved LEED Gold Version 4 certification, promoting health and wellness while reducing energy consumption through the reuse of existing materials found onsite as well as the creation of a rooftop garden that features an array of vegetation and trees. Specifically, the species selected consist of moderate water to drought tolerant plants that conserve water while enhancing environmental stewardship. Shebara Resort By Killa Design, Saudi Arabia Shebara is a 73-key hyper-luxury eco-resort set within a diverse and untouched environment. The island is home to dense mangroves, desert flora, rolling sand dunes, turtle nesting grounds, and some of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. Consequently, the resort is designed to provide an off-grid, zero-energy, zero-water, and zero-waste experience, becoming a next-generation eco-tourism destination. Specifically, all villas are run based on a self-sustaining infrastructure, powered by its own 110,000m2 solar farm and supported by a reverse osmosis plant, sewage and water reclamation systems, and 100% electric land and marine transportation. Jonas By Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, Amsterdam, Netherlands Jonas addresses the shortcomings of traditional urban design by emphasizing sustainability and ecological functionality over infrastructure. It incorporates strategies such as native vegetation along the banks and underwater habitats, through artificial substrates for mussel communities, as well as vegetation on roofs and facades, which improve thermal insulation. Additionally, water management is optimized via rainwater collection and reuse systems that contribute to the heating and cooling of the space. The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. The post From “Do Less Harm” To “Do Net Good”: Regenerative Design Across Scales and Climates appeared first on Journal.
From Andrea Palladio to Richard Serra: Poulson Architecture Reinvents the Classic Country Villa
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This Corten-clad, cardinally aligned villa blends Palladian geometry, sculptural presence and low-energy systems with the surrounding wetland.
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The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. Countryside houses in the United Kingdom are generally known for their close relationship with nature and their traditional textures, which reflect the history and local culture of rural areas. However, the increasing popularity of contemporary architecture has begun to influence the design of houses in these regions too. This shift towards contemporary styles aims to blend innovative design with the existing natural landscape, creating a balance between progress and preservation. Contemporary countryside architecture also emphasizes a balance between respecting its surroundings and incorporating modern functionality, which often results in unique and innovative residential structures. There are many excellent examples of this architectural evolution, showcasing how modern design can coexist with the rural environment and respect its traditional roots while embracing new technological and aesthetic advancements. One such example is Mill Hide, a modern country house designed by Poulson Architecture and located in the village of Melbourne, Cambridgeshire. The project stands out with its sculptural form, ecological sensitivity, and innovative use of materials. The design was awarded as the Popular Choice Winner in the Residential Private House (L 4000 – 6000 sq ft) category for the 13th Architizer A+Awards. An Exceptional Contemporary Countryside Home Mill Hide by Poulson Architecture, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom | Popular Choice Winner, Private House (L 4000 – 6000 sq ft), 13th Architizer A+Awards Mill Hide is an “exceptional house in the countryside” that received planning approval under the 2019 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 79 in 2021. According to RIBA, obtaining permission through Paragraph 79 is a difficult process. To be approved, a proposal’s design must be “of exceptional quality,” meaning it should be “truly outstanding or innovative, reflecting the highest standards in architecture, and contributing to improved design standards in rural areas.” But this also offers architects a chance to innovate with housing designs, making them distinctive for rural environments. An example of this is Mill Hide, built in 2023 by its architect for personal use, showcasing unique integration with its setting. Design Approach and Landscape Integration Mill Hide by Poulson Architecture, Cambridgeshire, England, UK | Popular Choice Winner, Residential Private House (L 4000 – 6000 sq ft), 13th Architizer A+Awards The building features a monolithic sculptural form that consolidates all the amenities typically found in a country home, diverging from traditional styles also sited within a natural wetland landscape. Its design draws inspiration from various countryside houses and structures that are outstanding examples worldwide and throughout history, with a particular nod to Andrea Palladio’s 16th-century Villa La Rotonda (aka Villa Capra), and, more contemporary, the large scale landscape sculptures of the American minimalist artist Richard Serra. The external sculptural form is expressed through Corten steel rainscreen cladding, where the steel panels are folded at corners and around openings, with concealed support systems and minimal joints, approximately 340 panels that fuse through oxidation. This use of weathered steel not only provides a durable and low-maintenance exterior but also creates a raw, material-driven aesthetic. In fact, the structure’s monumental presence and the tactile qualities of its weathered steel surface recall the work of Richard Serra, whose large-scale steel sculptures similarly command space through form, weight, and material integrity. Like Serra’s works, the house creates a contrast between material and landscape. Also, the Corten weathering steel was locally made by workshop teams known by the architect, who was also the client, owner, and occupier. Meanwhile, the landscape and ecological diversity of the site inspired a design that harmonizes with the surroundings, enhancing and extending the habitat for the bordering RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Nature Reserve. Complex Minimalism Additionally, the house has excellent airtightness, insulation above standards, a single air-source heat pump behind cladding, a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system, spacious plant rooms, thin film photovoltaics, and passive solar shading. It’s simple square design enhances these features, isn’t it so cool? Central to the proposal is an elegant, modern home set within a natural, largely undisturbed landscape, emphasizing minimalism over complexity. The building’s orientation maximizes natural light, with the plan’s diagonals aligned with the cardinal points, allowing sunlight to illuminate all four sides throughout the day. A colonnade along the southeast and southwest elevations provides vital solar shading and enhances the space. Also, the layout of the floor plan and internal spaces was designed to support long-term living and flexibility for future generations, with minimal internal structures and fixed elements, aiming to create a sustainable, adaptable home. The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter. The post From Andrea Palladio to Richard Serra: Poulson Architecture Reinvents the Classic Country Villa appeared first on Journal.
Dedicated to modern design
Pattern House Is a Moody Industrial Retreat on the Shores of Lake Washington
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- Main
- architecture
- black interior
- black kitchen
- glass walls
- house
- Lake House
- lakeside
- Olson Kundig
- Olson Kundig Architects
- outdoor shower
- outdoor showers
- residential
- seattle
- Tom Kundig
- Washington
Pattern House by Olson Kundig reimagines lakeside living in Seattle with expansive views, natural materials, and seamless indoor-outdoor spaces.
On the banks of Lake Washington, Pattern House by Olson Kundig reimagines what a modern lakeside retreat can be in the heart of Seattle. Designed for a young family, the 3,800-square-foot residence demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can expand the sense of space on a narrow city lot while strengthening connections to both the water and landscape. From the street, the home reads as a modest wood-clad structure, complemented by a concrete volume that houses the garage and workshop. The restrained exterior conceals a dramatic reveal: an Ice Blue front door – chosen to match the client’s beloved Mini Cooper – ushers guests into a double-height entry bathed in natural light and oriented toward panoramic views of Lake Washington. “Pattern House was a fascinating design opportunity because it’s a city house that’s also beside a lake,” explains design principal Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA. “The challenge was to transition from the energy and the organized grid of the city to the serenity and openness of the lake in a relatively brief moment.” The interiors reflect the family’s preference for an industrial yet inviting aesthetic. Recycled oak flooring, leather stair treads, Kebony siding, and a striking stone-slab bathroom bring material richness, while darker wood and steel introduce contrast. A sculptural folded-steel staircase with integrated leather details doubles as both a functional element and a visual centerpiece, guiding the eye upward to the private bedroom wing. In the kitchen, a trio of bold red pendant lights inject a playful burst of color into an otherwise moody palette of black, white, and natural tones. Custom casework in the living area featuring brightly painted wood molds from the family’s manufacturing business are treated like works of art, reinforcing the personal connection between the architecture and its inhabitants. “Like all city houses, Pattern House works to encompass the contemporary lifestyle needs of the clients within a small property that has historically been quite constrained,” adds Kundig. “Here, the clients’ priority was to be outside as much as possible, so the home opens up to that landscape and creates a very big living space, despite the actual site boundaries being limited.” The upper level makes the most of its vantage point. A cantilevered corner window in the primary suite frames sweeping 270-degree views, from Lake Washington across to Mercer Island, with Mount Rainier in the distance. Edward Lalonde, Design Principal at Olson Kundig, notes: “When Tom and I first met with the clients, we noted the siting of the existing mid-century house on the relatively narrow lot. For Pattern House, we wanted to reference that enclosed courtyard approach, but scaled for an urban site – allowing filtered daylight to wash through the entry.” Perhaps the most defining feature of Pattern House is its relationship to the outdoors. Expansive pivot and telescoping glass doors dissolve the boundary between interior living areas and the waterfront landscape. A large deck with an outdoor kitchen, custom BBQ station, and dining area supports family gatherings and entertaining, while a grassy lawn slopes gently to a restored natural shoreline. There’s even an outdoor shower for rinsing off after time in the water. Lalonde emphasizes the importance of ecological restoration: “The original home on the site sat above the lake on a concrete and asphalt porch over a traditional rock bulkhead. Our clients wanted to restore the natural shoreline condition and reintroduce native plantings to feel more connected to the landscape and create a beach for their young children to play in the water.” The exterior environment is further enriched with native vegetation, a small garden inset, a green roof over the garage, and a mature ginkgo tree that anchors the property. To learn more about Pattern House and Olson Kundig, please visit olsonkundig.com. Photography by Aaron Leitz.
A Parisian Studio Apartment Reinvented as a Minimalist Cocoon
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Main
- all-in-one platform
- apartment
- Beth x Episteme Studio
- Double Duty
- France
- hidden storage
- living small
- murphy bed
- Paris
- residential
- small apartment
- small home
- small living
- small space
- small space living
- small spaces
- studio apartment
- tiny home
- tiny living
A 248 ft² minimalist Paris studio by BETH X EPISTEME STUDIO features modular, double-duty furniture, a Murphy bed, and warm, space-saving design.
In the city of Paris, France, where living space is very much at a premium, BETH X EPISTĒMĒ STUDIO has transformed a micro-compact 248-square-foot (23-square-meter) studio apartment into a refined cocoon of minimalist design. This project demonstrates how small-space living can achieve both functionality and aesthetics without compromise. The studio’s centerpiece is a custom-built raised platform, crafted in okoumé wood, that acts as a multifunctional core where daily life unfolds. The structure seamlessly adapts to different needs: it becomes a sleeping nook, morphs into a dining table or desk, and conceals generous storage within. By integrating so many functions into one element, the designers maximize flexibility while keeping the floor open and uncluttered. The built-in table recalls the spirit of a Japanese zataku, designed for floor seating, yet with a clever twist: the raised platform leaves space beneath so your feet can comfortably dangle instead of tucking under your body. This subtle detail combines traditional inspiration with modern ergonomics, making long meals or work sessions feel more comfortable and relaxed. Every piece within the apartment is custom-designed for efficiency and cohesion. A bookshelf transitions effortlessly into a headboard, while a retractable desk disappears into a storage module when not in use. A wall-mounted Murphy bed further liberates space with a single motion. The result is an interior that feels intentional and balanced, with each element performing multiple roles without visual noise. Materiality anchors the project’s atmosphere. Light-toned wood, polished concrete, matte plywood, and aged brass form a soft, natural palette. The textures work together to create a calming environment that is serene yet tactile. Linear lighting and clean architectural lines reinforce the clarity of the space without making it feel rigid. Rather than dividing the small apartment with walls, BETH X EPISTĒMĒ STUDIO used built-in storage and surface shifts to define areas. Light becomes a guiding element, encouraging movement while visually connecting zones in an uninterrupted flow. Minimalist interiors often risk sterility, but this design embraces a warm minimalism inspired by Japanese aesthetics and desert landscapes. The apartment feels cocoon-like, wrapping its resident in quiet comfort while remaining adaptable to changing needs. This balance between precision and softness proves that small-scale design can be both highly functional and deeply human. Bertrand Emgoué and Marie Fleur Samé of BETH X EPISTĒMĒ STUDIO For more information on BETH X EPISTĒMĒ STUDIO, visit bethxepistemestudio.com. Photography by Art-Milan Mazaud.
F5: Nicki Gitlin Talks Iced Coffee, Her Daily Planner, a Tailored Pant + More
- Architecture
- Main
- architect
- dang
- Friday Five
- Nicki Gitlin
Nicki Gitlin, founder of dang, shares her love of iced coffee, her dog Otis when he sits in the sun, her daily planner, and more.
When Nicki Gitlin was an intern at Snarkitecture she explored objects and spaces at all scales, setting the foundation for her own work. With an emphasis on materiality and the interplay of light, Gitlin was fascinated by the way in which elements could be layered and how they influenced an individual’s experience in a particular setting. As an architectural designer for sportswear brand Theory, Gitlin was responsible for store layout and fixture development. The role was a perfect fit for this creative, who appreciates fashion as a means of expression and an art form all its own. “I love the way clothing can shape how you feel moving through the world – it’s design on a more personal, immediate scale,” she says. Nicki Gitlin Gitlin earned a graduate degree from Columbia University, and continued to hone her skills via residential projects and thoughtful research. In 2022, she was ready to make her own mark when she founded her New York-based firm dang. This unforgettable moniker is what Gitlin wants a client to exclaim when they step into one of her signature spaces. Her philosophy is rooted in the belief that beauty is found in the everyday. And whether Gitlin envisions a residence or an eatery, she ensures that each interior is modern yet still deeply livable. Her environments offer an inviting combination of comfort and style that people look forward to returning to. Even with a full schedule of client meetings and site visits, Gitlin manages to carve out quality time away from her computer and mobile phone. She’ll often turn her attention to something completely different, like playing with her son or cooking dinner. “It’s a chance to be fully present, and a reminder that not everything has to happen at once,” she notes. Today, Nicki Gitlin joins us for Friday Five! Photo: Nicki Gitlin 1. Finding Otis in a Sun Spot No matter how hectic my day gets, catching Otis stretched out in a warm patch of sunlight instantly slows me down. He has a way of reminding me to pause, breathe, and enjoy the simple comforts – something I try to bring into my work, too. Photo: Nicki Gitlin 2. Tailored Pant A perfectly cut pant is my version of armor. It’s polished yet effortless, and it carries me through site visits, client meetings, and late nights at my desk. The structure grounds me, while the ease lets me move through my day feeling like the most put-together version of myself. Photo: Nicki Gitlin 3. Daily Planner My daily planner is where big ideas and tiny to-dos live side by side. There’s something grounding about putting pen to paper – seeing the day laid out makes even the busiest schedule feel manageable. It’s my roadmap, my motivator, and sometimes, my excuse to use a really good pen. Photo: Nicki Gitlin 4. Satin Scrunchie The oversized satin scrunchie is my go-to for pulling my hair back without pulling myself out of the moment. It’s practical, but it also feels a little indulgent – soft, easy, and chic. Photo: Nicki Gitlin 5. Iced Coffee in a To-Go Cup An iced coffee in a to-go cup is my constant companion, no matter the season. There’s something about the ritual – the clink of ice, the first sip – that signals it’s time to get things moving. It’s equal parts fuel and comfort, keeping me energized through early mornings and late afternoons. Works by Nicki Gitlin and dang: Photo: Eric Petschek Afficionado Coffee Roasters For this Hell’s Kitchen café, the design draws from the brand’s roots in sourcing coffee directly from farmers around the world. Raw, tactile materials – like plaster, terracotta floors, and patinated metal – echo the landscapes where the beans are grown, creating a space that feels as grounded and authentic as the coffee itself. Photo: Sean Q. Munro Soho Pied-a-Terre This 400-square-foot Soho apartment proves that small can still feel spacious. Every inch works hard – the wardrobe doubles as a side table, a radiator cover transforms into a banquette and a media console, all concealing storage – little moments of ingenuity that make the space feel effortless to live in. Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson Upper West Side This private home, a collaboration with Studio ST, was grounded in Alyssa Kapito’s timeless interiors and brought to life through architecture that honors the building’s character while supporting a serene daily rhythm. The thoughtful detailing – plasterwork, generous natural light, and sculptural millwork – creates a layered backdrop where classic elegance meets lived-in comfort. Photo: Ryan Neeven Gather Market and Eatery In the heart of the Lower East Side, this project was about more than designing a coffee shop – it was about creating a series of pockets where people could gather. From the window bench to the intimate tables, every detail was meant to encourage connection and foster a sense of community. Photo: Nicki Gitlin Midcentury Modern Revival My own home has been a labor of love – bringing it back to life while keeping the midcentury character that drew me to it in the first place. The mix of warm wood, slate, and clean lines makes it feel both true to its roots and perfectly suited to how we live now.
This Finca-Style, Coastal Hideaway Boasts Balearic Beauty
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Main
- architecture
- Balearic
- Blakstad
- coastal design
- coastal interiors
- coastal living
- Finca
- Finca-style
- house
- Ibiza
- interior design
- interiors
- Mosaic Factory
- Natural Asthetik
- Pool
- pools
- residential
- Spain
- swimming pool
- Tom Lawrence-Levy
Blakstad Architects, in collaboration with Natural Asthetik, reimagines a local finca-style family home to show the softer side of Ibiza.
In contrast to Ibiza’s iconic Balearic beats and neon-soaked nightclubs, a quieter undertone endures. Here, ancient olive trees dot the landscape as the sea’s salty breeze mingles with rosemary and pine. The island’s whitewashed farmhouses, referred to as fincas, stand as stoic witnesses to centuries of rural life that have remained relatively unadulterated by tourist traffic. It is this heritage that Blakstad Architects looks to in the design of new local homes, which honor vernacular while embracing modern comforts. Their latest project – in collaboration with Natural Asthetik, a London- and Miami-based interior design studio founded by Tom Lawrence-Levy – reimagines the traditional finca for a family who sees this place not as a party destination, but as a sanctuary. Ibiza’s traditional finca is equal parts pragmatic and poetic, responding to climate, culture, and community. Thick stone walls insulate inhabitants from the fierce Mediterranean sun. Natural materials ensure sustainability and harmony with the surroundings while supporting local industry. And the arrangement of rooms, often additive in response to the family’s changing needs, combined with inward-looking courtyards remind those who dwell in them of architecture’s partnership with the elements. At first glance, the house feels unmistakably Ibizan – those guiding principals remain intact, underpinning this new, 3,5000-square-foot residential design. So too does the structure’s classic ubiquitous cubic shape, signature clean volumes, and humble presence. Its whitewashed exterior forms blend naturally with the hill it crowns, surrounded by wild gardens and native forest, while stone walls, exposed beams, and thick thresholds echo generations of island dwellings. A closer look reveals subtle refinements: microcement finishes smooth rough edges, lending a softness to the solid shell. Sandstone floors connect inside and out, keeping time with the sun. And the spiral staircase – a nimble contemporary gesture – leads to a discreet lower level, preserving the typology’s single-story horizontality from the approach. “We worked hard to keep the soul of the finca alive,” says Lawrence-Levy. “We wanted to avoid a house that felt too polished or sterile. Instead, it had to feel like it belonged to this land – as if it had always been here, but with a modern ease.” The open-plan interior feels effortless borrowing textures and tones from the facade, which spill inside as they seep into the six bedrooms and several luxurious baths. Linen drapes diffuse fierce Ibizan light into a gentle glow, creating a soft, ethereal ambiance. Soft, off-white walls recall the island’s sandy coves as warm woods nod to the surrounding forest. Touches of natural reds are peppered throughout using Rojo Alicante stone to reference the local aesthetic. And traditional Moroccan zellige tiles – detail often found across Southern Spain – by Mosaic Factory appear integrated into wet-space walls, their irregularity tempering clean modern lines. True to the finca’s communal spirit, the residence is designed for moments to be shared. Its German-British owners, a growing family, envisioned it as a refuge for friends and loved ones. In the living room, custom sofas by Flexform and statement accent chairs by Cassina cluster around a monumental coffee table – designed by Lawrence-Levy himself – whose twin forms fit together like puzzle pieces when united. Expansive indoor and outdoor dining tables stretching some 12 feet long invite dinners to linger as they commune under the stars. Generous sofas, deep daybeds, and multiple conversation nooks turn every corner into a moment of respite, an escape from Ibiza’s sometimes deafening din. “They are amazing hosts so making a space that effortlessly accommodates large groups was paramount,” continues Lawrence-Levy. “We really wanted it to feel refined but comfortable. The idea was always about people – the architecture is just the frame.” Now fully realized, the project embodies the island’s contradictions, a remoteness hidden behind its fame. The same sense of seclusion that imbues the home with its soulfulness complicated the logistics of building it. But the memory of those challenges only reinforce the magic of a place where time can slow to the pace of the land. This home, with its subtle modernity, shows that heritage is not something to resist or replicate, but to reinterpret with care. To learn more about the architects and interior designer behind this project visit blakstadibiza.com and naturalasthetik.com, respectively. Photography by Vigo Jansons.
A Muskoka Lakeside Cottage Blends Architecture With the Canadian Shield
- Architecture
- Main
- Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect
- black house
- canada
- house
- Lake House
- lakeside
- Muskoka
- Onsen
- Ontario
- residential
- shou sugi ban
- vacation home
- vacation house
Barbora Vokac Taylor designs a modern Muskoka cottage blending with the sloped, rugged surroundings and connecting to the lake.
In the heart of Ontario’s Muskoka region, a new family cottage by Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect (BVT A) redefines what it means to live closely with nature. Designed for a multi-generational family, the four-bedroom, three-level retreat blends into its rugged surroundings while providing intimate spaces for gathering, unwinding, and connecting by the lake. Set within a maple grove and perched on the steep terrain of the Canadian Shield, the cottage was conceived to respect the site’s natural slope and vegetation. Instead of reshaping the land, the design gently adapts to its contours – nestling into the hillside and angling toward both the forest and the water. The sensitive placement not only minimizes environmental impact but also ensures every level of the home offers a unique perspective of the landscape. The exterior pairs Shou Sugi Ban cedar cladding with a low, sloped black zinc roof that stretches across two main volumes: one housing the primary living spaces, the other containing a garage and an upper-level gym. Between them lies an open-air Muskoka Room – a flexible gathering area enclosed by motorized screens when needed – that frames the lake in a dramatic way for arriving visitors. “The warmth of the wood balances out the coolness of the metal,” says Barbora Vokac Taylor of the cottage’s exterior aesthetic. “And, with time, the materials will naturally and gracefully age and develop a natural patina to add to its story. I think that anticipation for the future form is an exciting thread that the family will follow as time passes and the family grows. The homeowners wanted a year-round retreat that could welcome their extended family now, and continue serving as a “family campus” for future generations. BVT A responded with a layout that balances private retreats with expansive social areas. The upper level houses the children’s bedrooms, a study, a guest suite, and a tucked-away loft hideout accessible by ladder that’s perfect for imaginative play. The lower level features the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living areas oriented toward panoramic lake views, plus the primary suite for when the owners visit alone. Lastly, the basement level is the recreation center of the home with a theater, sauna, wet bar, and walkout access to a Japanese-inspired onsen spa sheltered by cedar ceilings and concrete privacy walls. Throughout the cottage, carefully placed “viewfinder” windows frame specific snapshots of the surrounding wilderness – an individual maple tree, the rippling water, or a sunlit rock face. These moments shift with the seasons, making the home feel in constant dialogue with its environment. Summer living flows seamlessly outdoors, with floor-to-ceiling glass and screened openings that blur the boundaries between inside and out. In cooler months, the double-sided stone fireplace becomes the home’s glowing centerpiece, while the cedar and concrete materials develop a weathered patina that deepens the connection between structure and setting. The home’s proportions encourage a slower pace – most notably in the staircase, which uses an outdoor rise-to-run ratio indoors to create a subtle, calming effect. BVT A’s material palette combines warm woods, zinc roofing, and poured concrete, chosen both for their durability and their ability to age gracefully. Exposed Douglas fir joists, whitewashed pine interiors, and hand-painted cement tiles lend texture and tactility to the spaces. Over time, these elements will weather and tell the story of the family residing there. Whether arriving by boat or car, the cottage offers a sense of coziness. At night, a parametric cedar panel designed in collaboration with artist Victoria Fard casts a flickering pattern reminiscent of firelight, making the Muskoka Room glow like a lantern across the water. For more, information on Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect, please visit bvtarchitect.com. Photography by Doublespace, courtesy of v2com.
FOKSAL: A Light-Filled Attic Transformation in the Heart of Warsaw
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Main
- apartment
- apartment renovation
- attic
- Indoor Projekt
- interior design
- Poland
- renovation
- renovations
- residential
- skylight
- skylights
- Warsaw
The FOKSAL apartment in Warsaw by indoor is an attic renovation where mirrored skylights flood the space with natural light, creating a bright, modern sanctuary.
Perched above the historic streets of Warsaw, Poland, the FOKSAL apartment by indoor, a Polish interior design studio, turns architectural quirks into captivating living spaces. Nestled within the attic of a 19th-century tenement on Foksal Street, the residence defies expectations of what a heritage building’s top floor should be – trading dark, cramped rooms for a luminous, contemporary retreat. The apartment’s unusual footprint was the first obstacle. Sloping ceilings, an array of differently shaped windows, and a maze-like layout could have easily felt restrictive. Instead of fighting these elements, the designers embraced them, treating each irregularity as an opportunity for creativity. The transformation began with a focus on natural light. Skylights were strategically installed in the hallway, their mirrored frames and wavy steel panels amplifying the sense of vertical openness. From the moment you step inside, the effect is almost like walking into a space that merges architecture with the sky above. Light continues as a main element with the stairwell, where perforated steel panels filter sunlight into intricate patterns that move throughout the day. The staircase leads to one of the apartment’s focal points: a round dining table by MDF Italia surrounded by sculptural Bold Chairs from Moustache, set against a radiant, color-drenched painting by Pawel Wasowski. Located next to the dining area, the living room is centered beneath slanted ceilings that beautifully frame two arched windows. Anchoring the space is a curved, modular sofa by Noti, complemented by a sculptural Vibia Plusminus lighting system above, which adds dynamic contrast to the otherwise pristine white surfaces. Throughout the apartment, contrasts in form create visual interest. The open-plan kitchen features a stone-topped island and cabinetry crafted from wood and ceramic tile – its clean, cubic lines a striking counterpoint to the home’s angular roofline. The private wing of the apartment shifts the tone from openness to serenity. The bedroom and dressing area are wrapped in warm walnut tones and soft linen textures, fostering a sense of calm that feels worlds away from the city below. The primary bathroom is split into two distinct zones – one with a sleek, glass-enclosed shower, the other dedicated to bathing, featuring a minimalist round tub that becomes a sculptural addition in its own right. For more information on the FOKSAL apartment or indoor, visit indoorprojekt.pl. Photography by Marcin Grabowiecki.
Take 5: Geothermal Pools, Bold Bathrooms, Pill Cases + More
- Architecture
- Art
- Home Furnishings
- Lifestyle
- Main
- geothermal
- Hey Mimi
- Ikigai Cases
- pill case
- Pool
- pools
- stamps
- swimming pool
- Take 5
- Trone
- USPS
- Yves Klein Blue
Editor-in-Chief Caroline Williamson returns to Take 5 to share her fave Ikigai pill cases, sculptural blue toilets, and dreamy geothermal pools.
1. Zion Canyon Hot Springs I’m not sure if I’m more calm and intrigued by how the many geothermal and mineral pools look from aerial shots, or by imagining how relaxing they’d be to experience them in person. Either way, the property appears sculpturally designed with more than 50 bodies of water you can book in advance to ensure you get your own pool so no one will interrupt your soaking time. The calming blue bodies of water come in various organic shapes and sizes, some with pergolas for those looking to have a little shade in the Utah sun. Bonus: They offer a family side for those with kids and a 21+ adults only side if you prefer more peace and quiet (and less splashing)! Photo: Courtesy of Trone 2. Trone Toilet in Yves Klein Blue For the most part, bathrooms have remained the same utilitarian spaces with white porcelain fixtures for the majority of time since plumbing moved indoors. Every once in a while, a brand comes along and changes the game, and Parisian brand Trone happens to be that brand for bathrooms. We’ve covered the magic that is their toilets in years past, but they continue to elevate bathroom fixtures with jaw-dropping results. Who would have imagined that toilets could be design objects in hues like Yves Klein blue with step tiered forms? 3. Ikigai Cases For the aesthete that takes a lot of medication and/or supplements (like me), the Ikigai Cases make life easier, or at least make pill popping a little more pleasurable. If you’ve ever used those plastic pill cases seen in every drug store, you’ve probably had the annoyance of dropping said case or a lid popping open randomly, only to have all of your meds go rolling across the floor resulting in a maddening game of pickup. They come in various sizes and configurations, but I have the engraved Weekly AM-PM Case 2.0 (seen above in Rose Gold and Aluminum) that easily connect or disconnect with each other thanks to four strong magnets. The metal design is beautifully machined with a smooth sliding lid that clicks at each compartment, only revealing which one you want access to. That means that your pills are safe until you’re ready to access them. The case is an investment, but a good one for those that want to make their med taking more pleasant for years to come. Photo: Courtesy of Tracy Walker 4. Baby Wild Animals Stamps Every time I come across these new stamps that the U.S. Postal Service just launched, I want to send a letter. The kind that people do not send very often anymore. Designed by artist Tracy Walker these baby animals are modern and super cute without being over the top. The bold animal illustrations come in the perfect fall palette of rust orange, cornflower blue, pale ecru, black, and white. They will no doubt bring a smile to the letter recipient’s face when they see they’ve received snail mail with a bonus adorable stamp. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HEY MIMI • ceramika handmade & heartmade (@heymimistudio) 5. Hey Mimi Studio Ceramics Hey Mimi’s ceramics have been popping up in my Instagram feed recently, and every time, I click on it to go look at more. The Polish artist creates small objects in sweet rounded shapes, but the best part are the glazes. They appear textured and speckled, and completely unique to each colorful piece. I’m a sucker for ceramics and these have my name all of them them. Sadly, it seems they’re only available in Poland, but I hope her reach expands so they’ll be offered globally at some point.
The Apartment With a Lizard Is a Bold, Surrealist Home in Kyiv
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Main
- apartment
- bold color
- cobalt blue
- color
- color block
- color blocking
- colorful
- colorful bathroom
- colorful kitchen
- green kitchen
- interior design
- Kyiv
- metric bureau
- moody interior
- residential
- Svitlana Moskalenko
- Ukraine
- Yves Klein Blue
A daring Kyiv apartment by metric bureau blends theatrical color and whimsical details – like a fur-lined portal and a wall lizard – into a vibrant yet functional home.
Perched high above Kyiv’s right bank of the Dnipro River, this 1,141-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment is anything but ordinary. Designed by Ukrainian studio metric bureau for a creative couple and their cat, the Apartment with a Lizard is a fearless exploration of bold design choices. “Our clients were open to taking risks,” says Svitlana Moskalenko, designer and founder of metric bureau. “They cared most about the emotional experience – dramatic imagery, contrasting colors, and original ideas.” One partner, with a fashion background, envisioned something with the flair of a cosmic carnival – dramatic, unconventional, and dripping with personality. The other sought calm retreats for quiet reflection. The result is a dreamy home that balances color and calm, where theatrical moments meet functional ease. From the moment you step inside, the apartment sets the tone. A monochrome red entryway – walls, ceiling, and even the light – feels like stepping into a room in a dollhouse. Sliding glass separates this punch of color from the rest of the home, where the living area is anchored in deep green. At its center, a massive circular opening lined in faux fur becomes both a focal point and a meditative escape. Instead of a lounge chair, the portal invites you to lean in, look out, and engage with the skyline from the 26th-floor balcony, tiled in a rippling, water-like pattern. Ukrainian-made pieces bring warmth and identity to the living room: a blue L-shaped sofa by SVOYA Studio, a sculptural Woo armchair, and a mushroom-like Pecherytsia coffee table. Alpi veneer, designed by postmodern master Ettore Sottsass, backs the built-in metal shelving, adding a layer of artistry to the couple’s curated collection of books and objects. Recessed into the entryway’s walls are metal shelves to hold the couple’s shoes in an orderly fashion. Just above, hidden panels disguise easy access to the apartment’s technical systems. The kitchen is just as distinctive, with cabinetry in the same green as the living area and a mirrored concrete pylon that lightens the room’s architecture. A red Alpi veneer accents the upper cabinets, while a whimsical portrait of a lizard in formal attire – a work by Ukrainian artist Valery Kuznetsov – presides over the space. Around a circular dining table, mismatched red and white chairs keep the mood playful, lit from above by a felt pendant lamp from Danish brand Audo. The bedroom, designed around an oversized custom bed (with over 75 square feet of sleeping space!), channels fantasy through Italian wallpaper by Wall&Deco and a glowing, eclipse-inspired mirror. A fringe-trimmed vanity and lamps add to the theatricality, while chain curtains reveal a sleek, all-black dressing room. Even the bathroom is dramatic featuring contrasting cobalt walls with a striking red sink and shelving – plus a discreet, cat-friendly cabinet entrance to the litter box. Moskalenko calls the home one of the studio’s most daring projects to date, a space where the clients’ willingness to take risks allowed for an interior that is as emotionally charged as it is livable. It’s an apartment where every detail – from a fur-lined portal to a dressed-up lizard – tells a story, blurring the line between everyday life and a stage set for the imagination. The balcony is clad in Seletti water-like floor tiles and black mosaic tile walls and stepped benches, all resulting in a swimming pool feel. Svitlana Moskalenko, founder of metric bureau To learn more about the Apartment with a Lizard and metric bureau, head to metricbureau.com. Photography by Andriy Bezuglov and Anastasiia Osypenko.
Circle Dome Square by Henrik Vibskov Pays Homage to Panton
- Architecture
- Art
- Main
- art
- art exhibition
- artist collaboration
- Collaboration
- collaborations
- events
- exhibition
- Henrik Vibskov
- installation
- Louis Poulsen
- sculpture
- structure
- Verner Panton
Henrik Vibskov creates Circle Dome Square, an energetic and immersive structure for Louis Poulsen inspired by Verner Panton's Panthella lamp.
Danish designer Henrik Vibskov is known across the globe for his work in fashion, art, and design. Circle Dome Square, his newest work, debuted at 3daysofdesign this year, in collaboration with Louis Poulsen. Located outside Vibskov’s studio in Copenhagen, the immersive installation is based around the curvatures of Verner Panton’s 1971 Panthella lamp, whose iconic silhouette and exceptional light distribution made it a timeless design. Fabric screens are suspended in an eternal explosion, a hot-rod red decorating the entire structure, matching the energy of the form. The piece can be accessed through the center, forming a cavity within, sitting squarely in the eye of the storm. Bringing the beauty and innovation of the interior of the studio outside, promoting discussion of public art is an added benefit to the project. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Henrik Vibskov, one of Denmark’s most innovative fashion designers and artists. He has created a captivating installation that fuses designer lighting and art, paying tribute to Verner Panton and his most iconic lamp design, the Panthella,” says Zorayda Perez Pedersen, CMO at Louis Poulsen. Traditionally working in textile, Vibskov deeply considered how the negative space formed by the Panthella lamp could be translated to an exhibition, pulling on the form language of vintage cameras to come to the final design. “Circle Dome Square is a playful and somewhat visionary installation with a touch of surrealism. The concept was to combine shapes and colors into a larger structure using my chosen material – textiles – to create a design reminiscent of old-school cameras, focusing on a single unit. This is a space you can enter, where you can hopefully relax, take a breath, and enjoy your surroundings without too much disturbance from the outside world,” says Vibskov. Vibskov channels his deep appreciation for Verner Panton’s fearless use of color and his talent for crafting all-encompassing, sensory-rich environments. Much like Panton, Vibskov approaches design as an opportunity to transport viewers into another dimension – something he’s honed through his dynamic runway presentations and large-scale installations. This latest project weaves in Vibskov’s own inventive flair to create a vibrant, contemporary dialogue between two distinct yet kindred creative worlds. An entrance to a world much different from ours, red vertices take on an almost igloo-like appearance as they form a red roof over the visitors of the exhibition. In contrast with the relatively muted facade of the traditional Danish landscape, Circle Dome Square remains intriguing in its bright red clothing, standing solidly in the sun. Henrik Vibskov is a fashion designer and artist, yet always finds ways to infuse his work with many disciplines, not to be contained. Principles from architecture, furniture, textiles, exhibition, and graphics inspire his work, along with music: he is an accomplished drummer, touring with the bands Trentemøller and Hess is More. The intersection of music, art, and artefact inform his practice, keeping the themes of play and surrealism at the forefront of the work. Henrik Vibskov To learn more about Circle Dome Square by Henrik Vibskov for Louis Poulsen, please visit louispoulsen.com. Photography courtesy of Louis Poulsen.
F5: Andrew Ashey on Accidental Design, Empty Spaces, Plants + More
- Architecture
- Main
- AAmp Studio
- Andrew Ashey
- Friday Five
Andrew Ashey, principal and co-founder of AAmp Studio, shares his love of whimsy, flying over cities, empty spaces, and more.
By the time Andrew Ashey was seven years old he knew he wanted to be in the world of design. His interest was sparked while going on long drives with his family through the Upper Valley, a region that straddles New Hampshire and Vermont. “I was especially drawn to the contrast between the old New England farmhouses in the hills, the Victorian homes in town, and the Modernist buildings on campus,” he says. “When I asked my dad who created those buildings, and he told me architects did, the idea stuck with me.” A few years later, on a grade-school field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, it all clicked when he experienced the city’s density and how people moved through it. Many different structures served as inspiration for Ashey, but the Exeter Library by Louis Kahn made a lasting impression. He continues to be surprised by how it manages to convey permanence and poetry at the same time. Andrew Ashey \\\ Photo: Meaghan Peckham In 2014, Ashey and Anne-Marie Armstrong founded AAmp Studio. Based in Portland, Maine and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the principals focus on design at multiple scales, from commercial and residential projects to branding. With an emphasis on collaboration, they work closely with clients to provide elegant, intelligent solutions tailored to their needs. The principals have also created AAnnotated at AAmp, a collection of photographs and reflections that capture the overlooked elements of the built environment, like mismatched gutters, utility boxes, or fragments of ornament stranded in unlikely places. Much of what is envisioned is never built, and without some type of record these ideas risk being lost. Ashey recognizes that media not only shapes how people engage with the work, it is the lens through which it is preserved. “If I ever stopped practicing architecture I’d still want to document the world around me – telling stories through images and words about the spatial peculiarities that catch my eye,” he adds. Today, Andrew Ashey joins us for Friday Five! Photo: Andrew Ashey 1. Whimsy I’m drawn to moments of whimsy because they make architecture feel human – unexpected, joyful, and a little strange. In a field that often leans toward rigidity or seriousness, a bit of playfulness opens up space for emotion and delight. Whether it’s a hidden ramp, an oddly placed window, or a quirky streetscape like this one I stumbled upon in Catskill, New York, I love design that brings a smile to my face and invites curiosity. These moments remind our studio that architecture doesn’t always have to explain itself – it can simply spark wonder. Photo: Andrew Ashey 2. Plants Plants bring life, softness, and time into architecture – they mark the seasons, reclaim hard edges, and remind us that cities and spaces are part of larger ecologies. In urban design, they break up monotony, offer moments of pause, and invite people to linger. I’m drawn to how vegetation can transform a space without architecture trying too hard – simply by letting something grow. Parque México in Mexico City, pictured here, is a perfect example: lush, layered, and full of quiet corners, it shows how plant life can shape atmosphere as powerfully as any building. I try to carry that sensibility into both my work and my home, as a way to stay connected to the natural world, even in small moments. Photo: Andrew Ashey 3. Empty Spaces I’m drawn to the quiet tension of spaces not being used – rooms left empty, corners paused in time, architecture waiting for purpose or exhausted from use. There’s something almost ghostly about them, yet they still hold presence, still shape the world around us. This unused classroom in the Netherlands, for example, feels suspended in time – its furniture untouched, light filtering in softly, the sense of past activity still lingering. For me, this extends beyond spaces built for people, to those made for things – warehouses, silos, infrastructure – structures that often sit on the edge of our awareness, designed for utility but carrying a strange, haunting beauty when left still. This is core to a lot of research AAmp is doing at the moment. These spaces remind me that architecture continues to resonate even in absence – revealing traces of past use, forgotten intention, or quiet potential. It’s architecture beyond purpose. Photo: Andrew Ashey 4. Accidental Design I’m fascinated by the kind of design that emerges not from planning, but from daily living – when architecture gets used in ways no one anticipated. A worn path through a lawn, a bench that becomes a gathering spot, or sunlight hitting a wall just right at a certain hour – these unintentional moments reveal how people truly inhabit space. Even in my own home, moments like the one pictured here – a room mid-painting, taped and in flux – reveal how a space can take on a new character simply through the process of being lived in. They remind me that good architecture isn’t just about control or precision, but about allowing room for the unexpected, for life to leave its mark. It’s often in these accidental gestures that spaces feel most alive and personal. Photo: Andrew Ashey 5. Flying Over Cities I travel often, and flying over cities offers a rare chance to see the urban landscape as a kind of composition – layered, abstract, and revealing. From above, patterns and densities shift, and the familiar becomes strange: grids dissolve into chaos, neighborhoods blur into infrastructure, and scale takes on new meaning. The descent into Los Angeles, pictured here, captures this perfectly – the city’s vast sprawl stretches toward the distant mountains, textured with freeways, rooftops, and scattered pockets of green. It’s both disorienting and captivating – a mix of form and function that reveals something new with every landing. There’s often a striking contrast between the dense urban fabric and the city’s edge – a threshold where the built environment gives way to the landscape in curious ways. Works by Andrew Ashey and AAmp Studio: Photo: Maxime Brouillet Ell House Ell House is a 2,200sf vacation home on Lake Ontario in Prince Edward Country. Its dark silhouette and gabled form contrast its rural surroundings while echoing the local vernacular of the area. Its L-shaped layout responds to prevailing winds, with one wing shielding the other to create a protected indoor-outdoor living space. The house is organized into two wings – one for communal areas, the other for private rooms – offering intuitive flow and a strong sense of shelter. A minimalist interior of light concrete, white walls, and pine contrasts the charred cedar exterior, creating warmth and clarity throughout. Carefully placed openings frame the landscape as living art, grounding the home in its natural setting. Photo: Doublespace Photography Bessborough Residence Bessborough Residence – a 3,300-square-foot red-brick 19th-century home in Leaside, Toronto – was thoughtfully preserved, fully renovated, and expanded for a young family. A modern rear addition mirrors the original form while introducing double-height spaces, an open plan, and increased natural light. A two-story glass element marks the transition between old and new. The addition incorporates reclaimed brick from a former garage and rich gray board-and-batten siding to complement the historic structure. Inside, warm white walls and oak floors are accented by deep blues, soft olives, and crafted moments like a barrel-vaulted hallway, oak-paneled breakfast nook, and zellige-tiled ensuite bath. Photo: Dale Wilcox Sunnyside Townhouse A narrow 100-year-old semi-detached home in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighborhood was completely renovated and expanded to create a vibrant, light-filled space for a growing family. The redesign transformed a series of dark Victorian rooms into an open-plan layout, with a third-floor addition housing a new primary suite and private roof deck. Color, millwork, and materials were used playfully throughout, reflecting the clients’ love of textiles and quilting. A dramatic dark staircase anchors the home, contrasting with bright interiors and guiding a procession through varied textures and spaces. Photo: Brooke Holm Municipal Grand Hotel Municipal Grand is a 44-room boutique hotel housed in a landmark mid-century Federal Savings Bank, carefully restored and reimagined. The predominantly concrete building anchors a prominent corner in Savannah, with its bold form softened by curved walls and arched openings. Interior spaces draw inspiration from original terrazzo floors, mosaic tile columns, and mid-century wood paneling and metalwork. Public areas – including the reception, bars, mezzanine lounge, and rooftop pool – celebrate Savannah’s character through texture, color, and pattern. Guest suites are warm and inviting, with rich wood, stone, terrazzo, and textile accents. Photo: Adam Szafranski The Ramble Hotel The Ramble Hotel, located in Denver, also houses Death & Company’s second location. The project involved close collaboration with Death & Co and Gravitas Development Group to translate the original NYC bar’s distinctive brand identity into a new type of space, featuring rich textures, plush seating, and atmospheric lighting. Situated in the emerging RiNo arts district, the Ramble’s open-all-day lobby bar functions as both a social hub for locals and a gathering place for guests. AAmp’s design, in collaboration with Avenue ID, crafts an intimate, layered experience – blending the heritage of Death & Co within the hotel setting. Photo: Erin Little The Danforth The Danforth is a neighborhood restaurant in Portland’s West End composed of three distinct yet cohesive spaces: a bar, a lounge, and a three-season patio. Each area offers a unique atmosphere – light and energetic in the bar, moody and soft in the sunken lounge, and flexible and open on the heated patio – while unified through material continuity like a shared wainscot datum. Rounded booths and curved millwork ease the angularity of the existing building and add texture and warmth. At the heart of the design is a sense of community, offering both casual and intimate experiences that reflect and serve the surrounding neighborhood.
Echo Villa Is a Sculptural Home Inspired by Taiwan’s Mountain Landscape
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Main
- curved design
- curved sofa
- curved walls
- curves
- double height ceiling
- double height ceilings
- house
- interior design
- monochromatic
- neutral palette
- PENY HSIEH INTERIORS
- residential
- Taipei
- Taiwan
- wood slat ceiling
Echo Villa, by Peny Hsieh Interiors, in the mountains of Taipei blends sculptural curves, a neutral color palette, and organic materials.
Echo Villa is a private residence in Taipei, Taiwan that bridges architecture and nature. Spanning over 10,650 square feet (990 square meters), the expansive home was recently reimagined by Peny Hsieh Interiors. Instead of dominating its surroundings, the villa is nestled into the mountainside, following the natural terrain while framing scenic views of the picturesque landscape that inspired the design. From the entryway, the home’s spatial concept becomes clear: everything bends, curves, and flows in response to the landscape beyond its walls. In lieu of sharp angles and rigid separations, the designers opted instead for continuous lines that move gracefully across ceilings, down walls, and into custom-built furnishings. These sculptural forms echo the undulating contours of the nearby hills, establishing a sense of visual continuity throughout the home. At the core of Echo Villa’s aesthetic is a curated material language that amplifies its connection to nature. Mineral-toned plaster gives the walls a sense of geological depth, while natural teak flooring offers warmth and brings a soft, organic tone to the interiors. Curved, built-in elements are complemented by handcrafted furniture, textured fabrics, and custom concrete finishes, creating an atmosphere that is tactile, grounded, and calm. The restrained color palette – primarily soft neutrals and earth-inspired hues – serves to heighten the serenity of it surroundings. Every design choice, from surface treatment to decorative accent, is carefully calibrated to allow the materials and architecture to speak for themselves. Glass, metal, and textiles are introduced with subtlety, balancing the solid, grounded elements with lighter and more reflective ones. Lighting plays a crucial role in enhancing the villa’s spatial experience. Daylight is gently filtered through the home’s sculptural architecture, shifting with the sun throughout the day. At night, indirect lighting lines architectural transitions and recessed curves, emphasizing the fluidity of the spaces and allowing textures to glow softly. The dramatic foyer boasts an almost 30-foot-tall ceiling height softened by a custom-blown glass lighting fixture that organically floats mid-air. The organic shapes of each fixture give nod to the drifting mountain mist. Adding another layer of refinement, Echo Villa features an impressive collection of contemporary artworks and furnishings, each chosen to reinforce the home’s core concept. Pieces by Draga & Aurel, Bruno Moinard, Christophe Delcourt, and Paul Bik punctuate the interiors. Their presence blurs the line between art installation and home environment, enriching the living experience for the homeowners. In the primary bathroom, curved walls flank the open space with a black stone bathtub as the central focal point of the room. To learn more about Peny Hsieh Interiors, visit penyhsieh.com. Photography by Peny Hsieh Interiors, courtesy of v2com.
Color Meets Character in This Retro-Inspired Kraków Apartment
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Main
- Anna Baranowska
- apartment
- bold color
- Butterfly Studio
- color
- colorful
- colorful kitchen
- colorful room
- interior design
- Joanna Felczuk
- Krakow
- Poland
- residential
Butterfly Studio transforms a Kraków apartment for a young couple who desired a retro-inspired, colorful space that was also timeless and functional.
In the heart of Kraków, Poland, a young couple found their dream home not just in a location, but in a design brought to life by Butterfly Studio. The 84-square-meter (approximately 900-square-foot) apartment was completely reimagined by architects Anna Baranowska and Joanna Felczuk to reflect their clients’ love for vibrant colors and retro aesthetics – without sacrificing livability. At the core of the design was the careful attention to functional planning. The designers reworked the original layout by eliminating one room to create a more expansive, flowing living area. This move allowed for the inclusion of a L-shaped sofa and a versatile extendable dining table, supporting the couple’s desire for a social and flexible environment. The kitchen was reconfigured as an inviting gathering place – featuring a custom island that trades typical bar seating for concealed storage. Throughout the apartment, color plays a key role in the overall design scheme. Shades of green, rust, blue, and burgundy span surfaces, balanced by textural contrasts and graphic details like a checkered rug and patterned entry tiles. Lighting also plays a sculptural role – whether it’s pendant lamps over the sofa or the artistic glow of hallway fixtures. The entryway sets the tone upon entry with a striking burgundy built-in wardrobe and a rounded bench that doubles as both sculpture and seating. The geometric motif is echoed throughout the space – in the softly curved kitchen island and the rounded media cabinet – creating visual cohesion across rooms. One of the home’s biggest design challenges, a long and initially awkward hallway, was turned into a statement zone. Playful wall sconces cast abstract reflections, while thoughtful millwork in muted tones introduces texture and dimension. A dark anthracite wall brings contrast, giving the corridor its own dynamic identity. In the bedroom, tranquility reigns. Soothing green walls are topped by a terracotta-hued ceiling, wrapping the space for a warm, cozy feel. A bespoke headboard – complete with a built-in vanity on one side – adds functionality. Each of the two bathrooms features its own distinct character while maintaining harmony with the rest of the apartment. One channels an earthy, tactile aesthetic with terracotta tiles and concrete-like plaster, while the other makes a bolder statement with burgundy floors, denim-toned cabinetry, and cool blue tiles. Behind the scenes, clever storage solutions – like a woven-front laundry unit – keep things clean and clutter-free. For more information, you can find Butterfly Studio on Instagram, Facebook, and Behance. Styling by Eliza Mrozińska. Photography by Mood Authors.
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snøhetta draws from local fishing villages for waterfront masterplan in malaysia
- architecture
- architecture in malaysia
- masterplans and urban revitalization
- snohetta
snøhetta’s jesselton docklands masterplan in malaysia transforms the waterfront into a resilient district sensitive to the tropical ecology.
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a new civic district for kota kinabalu, malaysia Jesselton Docklands is a tropical masterplan in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, designed by Snøhetta to revitalize the city’s historic port area on the island of Borneo. The development introduces a new ferry and cruise terminal near Kota Kinabalu International Airport, establishing the district as both a transportation hub and a civic destination. The project will be a gateway to Sabah, enforcing the city’s role within the Southeast Asian archipelago and strengthening its connection to local culture and ecology. The transformation of the waterfront redefines Kota Kinabalu’s urban edge. Once an industrial zone, the area will now serve as a civic and cultural anchor, merging resilient infrastructure with the island’s environmental identity. Richard Wood, Managing Director Asia of Snøhetta, describes the design as ‘a reconnection of this once industrial part of the city back to its locality, its people and its heritage,’ aligning the project with the city’s natural and cultural richness. visualizations © Aesthetica island living by snøhetta With the Jesselton Docklands masterplan, the team at Snøhetta establishes a framework for tropical urban living that may influence future development across Malaysia. It incorporates layered environmental strategies shaped by collaborative discourse, with careful attention to climate resilience. Located in a region vulnerable to typhoons, the master plan integrates hydrological systems — bioswales, rain gardens, and retention landscapes — that channel stormwater and mitigate flooding. Spatially, the scheme references the informal character of nearby fishing villages. Organic planning principles guide the layout, improving shading and airflow during hot summer months while fostering a sense of adaptability. Deep facades, articulated with local materials, create a unified architectural language responsive to the tropical context. Ecological Patches support biodiversity, weaving native wetland species into the urban fabric, while seasonal planting offers a living landscape that changes throughout the year. Jesselton Docklands in Malaysia reimagines Kota Kinabalu’s historic port jesselton docklands masterplan for the water’s edge The waterfront setting plays a central role in the design of Jesselton Docklands. The relocated ferry terminal introduces a new cascading landscape that gradually descends to the water, reinforcing the city’s relationship to its maritime edge. An inner marina further integrates aquatic elements, while water channels and stilted homes echo the region’s traditional water villages. Residential and mixed-use towers form a skyline shaped to mirror Mount Kinabalu, a defining landmark visible from the site. Two Gateway Buildings mark the project’s entrance, serving as a symbolic portal to Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding national parks. Throughout the three plots, view corridors frame shifting perspectives of the sea, blending urban life with the natural setting. Snøhetta designs the master plan as a civic and cultural anchor The master plan prioritizes walkability with a central spine stretching over seven hundred meters, connecting the site’s key districts. Designed streetscapes and shaded pathways encourage exploration on foot, while shuttle systems enhance accessibility and reinforce a pedestrian-first approach. Pavilions, bridges, and podiums punctuate the site, combining vegetation and water features with architectural gestures that reflect Kota Kinabalu’s coastal identity. resilient infrastructure integrates bioswales, rain gardens, and retention landscapes organic planning draws from local fishing villages to enhance airflow and shading deep facades use local materials to respond to tropical conditions pedestrian pathways bridges and pavilions connect city and sea ecological Patches promote biodiversity with native wetland species a skyline of towers mirrors the silhouette of Mount Kinabalu project info: name: Jesselton Docklands architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta location: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia visualizations: © Aesthetica | @aesthetica_studio The post snøhetta draws from local fishing villages for waterfront masterplan in malaysia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
fractured stone forms shape tourist facilities by MVRDV on taiwan’s southern coastline
- architecture
- architecture in taiwan
- masterplans and urban revitalization
- MVRDV
the design turns roads, paths, and buildings into rocky fragments that appear to emerge from the terrain.
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MVRDV to redesign tourist infrastructure in taiwan MVRDV, working with HWC Architects, wins the commission to redesign the tourist infrastructure of Jialeshui, Taiwan, with their masterplan Nature Rocks!. Located on a dramatic stretch of coastline in the far south of the country, where wind and sea have sculpted sandstone into animal-like rock formations, the project proposes improved accessibility and visitor facilities while keeping all new construction within the site’s already developed footprint. By echoing the fractured, layered geology of the region, the design turns roads, paths, and buildings into rocky fragments that appear to emerge from the terrain. all renderings by MVRDV Jialeshui’s Coastline as a Cracked Stone Landscape Jialeshui, part of Kenting National Park in Pingtung County, is among Taiwan’s most well-known geological parks. Visitors come for formations such as Rabbit Rock, Toad Rock, and Seal Rock, yet despite its popularity, the site has struggled with inadequate infrastructure. A narrow road currently serves as the only connection between forest and shoreline, forcing shuttle buses, cyclists, and pedestrians to share space. Small kiosks and pavilions have been damaged repeatedly by typhoons, leaving the area both congested and fragile. WIth Nature Rocks!, the architects at MVRDV address these challenges by reshaping circulation and public spaces as a cracked stone landscape. The straight road is broken apart and re-stitched into a system of pathways that flow between forest and coast, dividing into zones for walking, cycling, shuttle buses, and rest. Some of the rock-like fragments rise into small buildings that house a visitor center, exhibition spaces, restrooms, and lookout points. The roof of the largest volume becomes a panoramic terrace for stargazing and views of the sea. At the entrance, three sculptural structures cluster together as a gateway, while along the route, new kiosks and viewpoints replace outdated facilities at existing points of interest, including the sea lookout, the stone deck, and the waterfall. MVRDV wins the commission to redesign the tourist infrastructure of Jialeshui, Taiwan Concrete and planting strategies complete Nature Rocks! MVRDV carves cracks between the rock-like elements that act as passive drainage channels, helping to manage stormwater and flooding while also allowing vegetation to take root and animals to move between forest and shore. A planting strategy layers tall native trees near the forest edge, shifting to salt-tolerant species by the coast, while even the concrete structures are intended to weather and host mosses and plants over time. Concrete is selected as the only material capable of withstanding the site’s harsh climate, and its aggregate will partly be recycled from demolished buildings. By confining interventions to previously developed areas and allowing natural systems to shape the design, MVRDV and HWC Architects aim to strengthen Jialeshui’s role as a geological park without eroding the qualities that made it famous. located on a dramatic stretch of coastline in the far south of the country wind and sea have sculpted sandstone into animal-like rock formations the project proposes improved accessibility and visitor facilities the design turns roads, paths, and buildings into rocky fragments that appear to emerge from the terrain MVRDV addresses challenges by reshaping circulation and public spaces project info: name: Nature Rocks architect: MVRDV | @mvrdv location: Manzhou Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan client: Pingtung County Government founding Partner in charge: Winy Maas director: Gideon Maasland head of Taiwan: Hui Hsin Liao design team: Valentina Fantini, Samuel Tam, Vivian Yang copyright: MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries co-architect: HWC Architects structural engineer: Cross Structural Engineer & Associates MEP: LiPeng Professional Electrical Engineer Firm surveyor: JengShing Surveying and Mapping Engineering Co., Ltd. environmental advisor: D.H. Engineering Consultants Ltd. The post fractured stone forms shape tourist facilities by MVRDV on taiwan’s southern coastline appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
hybrid office-residence extends raw concrete balcony above recessed timber mass in india
- architecture
- readers
- video
- architecture in india
- residential architecture and interiors
- where people work
3dor composes a central void to create visual and physical links between floors.
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3dor DESIGNS A Mixed-Use Office and Residence in Kerala 3dor Aapees, designed by 3dor Concepts, is a mixed-use project located in Chalad, Kannur, Kerala, India. The building integrates office and residential functions within a semi-urban context, framed by a green landscape on one side and residential neighborhoods on the other. The design balances the public character of the office with the privacy required for the residence, while maintaining spatial connections between both functions. The building follows the site’s natural slope with a linear massing strategy, minimizing disturbance to the topography. To avoid clustering and enhance spatial quality, a void was introduced into the block, creating a visual and physical link between the two floors. This also ensures daylight and ventilation reach both residential and office areas. all images courtesy of 3dor Concepts Layered Living and Working Spaces define 3dor Aapees The residential level, situated on the basement floor, is organized through zoning based on privacy needs. Public spaces such as the living room are oriented toward the northwest, using their position as a buffer against the evening sun. A waterbody between the living and dining areas separates public and semi-private zones while contributing to natural cooling, ventilation, and daylight. At ground level, the office is accessed through a veranda that acts as a transitional space between exterior and interior. Inside, the workplace emphasizes openness, with flexible layouts instead of enclosed cubicles. Meeting spaces are located above the living area, linked by an open transitional zone that overlooks the waterbody. Balconies extend from these rooms, reinforcing visual and spatial connections with the outdoors. The architectural team at 3dor Concepts designs the first floor as a dynamic, adaptable zone that supports multiple uses, from workshops and in-house presentations to informal gatherings. Its open layout and connection to a balcony allow expansion for larger group activities, while the adjoining terrace functions as both a viewing deck and an outdoor workshop space. 3dor Aapees combines workspace and residence in Chalad, Kannur Balancing Raw Aesthetics with Contextual Sensitivity Materiality plays a central role in the design. The office employs raw, exposed materials that establish a clear architectural character. Concrete is used consistently for walls, floors, and ceilings, with shuttering patterns left visible. Wooden detailing, created from repurposed timber, highlights openings and provides warmth. Flooring combines cement finishes with rough-textured Kota stone, while exposed metal elements serve structural and connective purposes. Together, these materials create a tactile, unembellished aesthetic. The design also integrates regional principles into a modern framework. Large overhangs provide shade and rain protection, while pivoted doors allow for daylight and natural ventilation. Rather than replicating traditional forms, the project reinterprets local strategies through contemporary materials and construction methods. 3dor Aapees positions itself within the scale of its neighborhood, emphasizing contextual modernism and human-centered spatial design. By merging workspace and residence, the project reflects evolving patterns of urban life while supporting flexibility, openness, and environmental responsiveness. raw concrete defines walls, floors, and ceilings with visible textures a ‘foot’ step decorates the building’s entryway rough Kota stone and cement finishes ground the interior palette repurposed timber highlights openings with crafted wooden details regional strategies are reinterpreted through modern materials and design daylight and ventilation are enhanced through strategic massing living areas face northwest, buffering against the evening sun wooden louvers filter light within the open workspaces 3dor Concepts adds wooden ‘undas’ into the living area linear massing follows the site’s natural slope with minimal disruption project info: name: 3dor Aapees architects: 3dor Concepts | @3dor_concepts design team: Ahmad Thaneem, Muhammed Jiyad, Muhammed Naseem location: Chalad, Kannur, Kerala, India designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom The post hybrid office-residence extends raw concrete balcony above recessed timber mass in india appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
frank lloyd wright’s spring house, his sole florida design, hits the market
- architecture
- architecture in the US
- frank lloyd wright
- residential architecture and interiors
designed during the same years as the guggenheim, spring house reflects wright’s iconic arc-filled forms.
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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Lewis Spring House lists for sale Frank Lloyd Wright’s only design in Florida, the Lewis Spring House, has officially hit the market. Located on the outskirts of Tallahassee, the property spans 10 acres of hardwoods and showcases Wright’s late-career hemicycle style, defined by sweeping curves and fluid forms. Its distinctive boat-shaped layout was created as a tribute to the Lewis family’s love of nature and the water. The three-bedroom, two-bath residence offers 2,040 square feet of living space and was conceived in 1952, completed in 1954, during the same period Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum. Both projects share a bold geometry of arcs, reflecting his focus on organic architectural forms. all images courtesy of NAI Global a rare ship-shaped home in Florida The house is one of only 11 hemicycle-style homes that Frank Lloyd Wright ever completed and one of just two designed with a ship-like form. Its curved walls, extensive glazing, and natural materials blur the line between interior and exterior spaces, creating a continuous sense of openness. Built from Ocala block, a concrete material common in mid-century Florida, and finished with tidewater red cypress both inside and out, Spring House reflects the legendary architect’s principle of harmonizing architecture with its surroundings. The plan includes mezzanine levels and large windows that open views across the wooded site. Although some exterior elements, such as the reflecting pool and terrace wall, were never realized, the structure remains a notable example of Wright’s experimentation during the final decade of his career. the house features a distinctive boat-shaped layout curved walls, extensive glazing, and natural materials blur the line between interior and exterior the residence was conceived in 1952 and completed in 1954 the house is built from Ocala block, a concrete material common in mid-century Florida the plan includes mezzanine levels and large windows that open views across the wooded site the house is one of only 11 hemicycle-style homes that Frank Lloyd Wright ever completed the home is finished with tidewater red cypress both inside and out Spring House reflects the architect’s principle of harmonizing architecture with its surroundings project info: name: Lewis Spring House architect: Frank Lloyd Wright | @wrighttaliesin location: 3117 Okeeheepkee Rd | Tallahassee, Florida year built: 1954 lot area: 10 acres real estate agency: NAI Global | @nai.global The post frank lloyd wright’s spring house, his sole florida design, hits the market appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
la miradora house by taller general opens to volcano views in machachi, ecuador
- architecture
- interiors
- architecture in ecuador
- JAG studio
- residential architecture and interiors
taller general sensitively designs la mirador to respect the fragile landscape backdropped by ecuador's meadows and volcanoes.
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la miradora views ecuador’s páramo landscape Ecuador-based studio Taller General completes a residential project, La Miradora, in the rural landscape of Machachi. The home is sited at 3,403 meters above sea level within the Páramo ecosystem, a tropical wetland of the Andes. Perched along the highest point of its elongated plot, the dwelling opens broadly outward to overlook a steep ravine, with the expansive and fragile landscape backdropped by meadows and volcanoes on the horizon. The siting responds to the land’s natural slope, allowing the structure to open toward the views while organizing its interior in two distinct levels. The upper floor contains the main living spaces for a couple, while the lower level — smaller due to the terrain — accommodates visiting family members. A loft on the upper floor faces north and south, framing the nearest volcanoes. images © JAG Studio taller general designs a house on a vast slope With the layout of La Miradora, the architects at Taller General seek to encourage moments of gathering while maintaining privacy. Everyday life unfolds on the upper floor, where wide windows gather light and air from multiple directions. The lower floor extends this arrangement when guests arrive, offering additional rooms and service areas without altering the compact presence of the house above the slope. Outdoor circulation is carefully integrated into the architecture. A covered ramp runs along one side, ensuring direct exterior access to the main level while providing a sheltered path that mediates between inside and out. From here, the Páramo landscape is experienced as a sequence of framed views and open exposures. La Miradora sits at the highest point of its plot in Machachi, Ecuador integration into the fragile ecosystem Taller General designs La Mirador with a strong focus on ecological performance. Solar panels supply electricity, while gray and black water undergo staged treatment with grease traps, a biodigester, and a wetland before reaching a small lagoon and reentering the ground. This closed system echoes the Páramo’s role as a vital water source, aligning the house’s operations with its environment. The design also minimizes construction waste by avoiding coatings or plasters. Materials are left exposed, making their structural role evident while reducing unnecessary layers. This approach required precise detailing and collaboration with local craftsmen skilled in wood, metal, ceramics, and textiles. Their work extends to integrated lamps, furniture, and partitions that reinforce the project’s expressive materiality. the house overlooks meadows, volcanoes, and a deep ravine in the Páramo ecosystem The house’s structure is defined by an array of ten wooden ribs arranged every 2.44 meters. Each rib consists of four inclined elements that meet upward, shaping protective eaves and supporting the upper level. On the north side, the ribs rest on a brick base that follows their slope. On the south side, they extend into durable metal members that withstand sun and rain and adapt to the gradient of the land. This repetitive system adapts to spatial needs, shifting its rhythm to support the loft and open wider views. The interplay of wood, brick, and metal expresses a careful balance of shelter and exposure, durability and lightness. The roofline and eaves extend generously, protecting the timber while filtering sunlight into the interiors. a covered ramp runs along one side, linking the interior to the landscape the upper floor contains the main living spaces and a viewing loft ten wooden ribs form the structure with brick and metal bases adapting to the terrain solar panels and a water treatment system integrate the house with its environment local craftsmen contributed details in wood, metal, ceramics and textiles project info: name: La Miradora architect: Taller General | @tallergeneral.ec location: Machachi, Ecuador area: 300 square meters completion: 2024 photography: © JAG Studio | @juanalbertoandrade.ec collaborators: Santiago León, Cerrotecec, Las Manos Sucias structure: Miguel Morales construction manager: Taller General The post la miradora house by taller general opens to volcano views in machachi, ecuador appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
stone walls and reflecting pools shape renovated residential complex in crete by VAstudio
- architecture
- interiors
- readers
- architecture in greece
- renovation and restoration architecture and design
- residential architecture and interiors
its stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and interplay with light create a home where daily living is infused with memories.
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stone walls and serene pools define VASTUDIO’s cretan residence VAstudio’s Threshold is a residential complex in Pazinos, near Chania, Crete, designed to amplify the latent qualities of an existing structure. Its stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and interplay with light create a home where daily living is infused with memories. The renovated complex is organized into three interconnected volumes, each anchored by a reflecting pool, and designed to guide circulation as a series of contemplative thresholds that frame views, mark time, and structure spatial experience. images courtesy of VAstudio curved geometries shape light and recall the original building Set within a village defined by olive groves, terraces, and dry stone walls, Threshold engages with its landscape through materiality, which includes locally sourced stone, timber, and lime plaster, and spatial gestures. Vaulted ceilings, preserved and highlighted throughout the interiors, act as spatial anchors with their curved geometries shaping light and acoustics while recalling the layered history of the original building. Pools reflect the sky and olive groves, structuring the composition of the site, while skylights and carefully positioned apertures animate surfaces, casting shifting patterns across stone, plaster, and timber throughout the day. Pathways, level changes, and framed views transform movement into a reflective experience, where thresholds act as pauses in the journey through the home. The Greek architects at VAstudio restored the existing stonework, timber beams, and vaults, while modern systems were integrated discreetly, and wherever possible, materials were reused to maintain continuity and reduce environmental impact. The resulting residence accommodates contemporary living while preserving the historic essence of its architecture. VAstudio’s Threshold is a residential complex near Chania, Crete stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and interplay with light create a home where daily living is infused with memories existing structure, part of the complex in Pazinos the renovated complex is organized into three interconnected volumes designed to guide circulation as a series of contemplative thresholds each volume is anchored by a reflecting pool set within a village defined by olive groves, terraces, and dry stone walls modern systems were integrated discreetly Threshold engages with its landscape through materiality VAstudio restored the existing stonework, timber beams, and vaults pathways, level changes, and framed views transform movement into a reflective experience vaulted ceilings, preserved and highlighted throughout the interiors, act as spatial anchors curved geometries shape light and acoustics project info: name: Threshold architect: VAstudio | @vastudio_architecture location: Pazinos, Chania, Crete, Greece designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom The post stone walls and reflecting pools shape renovated residential complex in crete by VAstudio appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
1950s petrol station wins photo of the year at architecture photography awards 2025
- architecture
- architectural photography
APA 2025 announces its winners across 20 categories, presenting a survey of how photographers around the world interpret the built environment.
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former petrol station wins photo of the year The Architecture Photography Awards 2025 (APA 2025) announces its winners across 20 categories, presenting a survey of how photographers around the world interpret the built environment. From Icelandic churches and Sicilian cloisters to futuristic alpine huts and thunder-lit Hong Kong skylines, winning photographs form a global atlas of perspective that underscores architecture’s capacity to be seen as image, atmosphere, and narrative. In the Photo of the Year and winner of the Night & Low-Light category, Michael Luetge’s Architectural Minimalism captures a former 1950s petrol station in Hamburg’s Grindelviertel. Once defined by its sweeping canopy and now preserved as a listed building, the modest glass structure is framed at night as a composition of light, geometry, and urban memory. Windows 5.9 by Werner Schwehm, winner in Windows Architecture Photography Awards 2025 Explore Light and form Light and its absence emerge as recurring protagonists in the rest of the awards categories as well. In Chi Ho Gary Ng’s Concrete Memento, sunlight funnels through the brutalist openings of Uji Station in Japan, spotlighting a solitary passerby on a staircase. His second APA 2025 winning entry, Hong Kong in the Veil, shifts to an urban scale, where skyscrapers pierce through thick sea fog at Victoria Harbour, backlit by a rare crimson sunset and the iconic silhouette of a junk boat. Other winning images approach architecture through metaphor. Omar Garcia’s Vertical Piano renders the stacked balconies of Rotterdam’s Cooltoren tower as giant piano keys, illuminated at sunrise in black-and-white. Anthony Wang’s Ascension looks upward into the atrium of Atlanta’s Marriott Marquis, where John Portman’s spiraling interior seems to pull the viewer skyward. Several works emphasize architecture’s dialogue with landscape. Paulo Sousa’s aerial view of the Monte Rosa Hut, winner of the Drone and Aerial category, shows the metallic structure glinting against the Swiss Alps, balanced delicately above the expanse of the Gorner Glacier. In Iceland, Joseph Dunatov photographs Stykkishólmskirkja, Jón Haraldsson’s 1990 church, whose sculptural forms rise starkly against the coastal town’s horizon. Architectural Minimalism by Michael Luetge, photo of the year, winner in Night & Low-light From Palermo’s Cloisters to Tehran’s Ice Cave Dario Lo Presti’s Cloister of Monreale frames history and captures the Arab-Norman architecture of Palermo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where repeating arches echo centuries of craftsmanship. Jürgen Hammermann’s Museum Staircase turns Duisburg’s Küppersmühle Museum into a study of rhythm and circulation, while Parham Taghioff’s shot of Ice Cave in Tehran fuses futuristic white curves with a living green wall. Minimalism and abstraction take on intimate registers. Masaki Yazaki’s Color Blocks isolates overlapping facades near his home, transforming everyday walls into geometric paintings. Josbel Tinoco’s Yellow Jam goes further into spatial fiction, dissolving orientation into a monochromatic yellow pattern of depth and illusion. Cloister of Monreale by Dario Lo Presti, winner in Historic Architecture architecture shaped by people, time and atmosphere APA 2025 shows how architecture is brought to life by people and the environment around it. Mario Tarantino’s Interruption 1 captures a lone figure breaking the strict rhythm of a building’s design. Elizabeth Crane’s Bridge to Nowhere photographs the Zampa and Carquinez bridges in California disappearing into fog, turning solid infrastructure into something delicate. Ming Cheng’s The Dark Knight Awaits freezes a dramatic lightning strike over Hong Kong’s IFC tower, while car lights streak through the rainy city. In black-and-white Vertical City, Silent Peak, Shuchuan Liu photographs Tokyo’s skyline from the Bunkyo Civic Center, setting the vertical rise of its towers against the timeless presence of Mount Fuji. Together, the APA 2025 winning photographs highlight the many ways architecture is seen and experienced. They show how buildings can be understood and felt through the changing contexts of time, atmosphere, and the people around them. Concrete Memento by Chi Ho Gary Ng, winner in Light & Shadow Color Blocks by Masaki Yazaki, winner in Minimalist Monte Rosa Hut by Paulo Sousa, winner in Drone & Aerial Bridge to Nowhere by Elizabeth Crane, winner in Bridges Shadows in Valencia by Javier Perez, winner in Fine Art Stykkishólmskirkja by Joseph Dunatov, winner in Open Theme Ascension by Anthony Wang, winner in Symmetry Interruption 1 by Mario Tarantino, winner in Human and Architecture Interaction Yellow Jam by Josbel Tinoco, winner in Abstract and Geometric Forms Prehistoric Spine by Werner Schwehm, winner in Reflections Ice Cave by Parham Taghioff, winner in Interior Architecture project info: name: Architecture Photography Awards 2025 | @architecturephotographyawards winning photographers: Michael Luetge, | @michaelluetge_photographie, Chi Ho Gary Ng | @Garyfive, Dámaso Ávila | @DAMASOAVILA, Omar Garcia | @nebtrx, Javier Perez | @javivillas, Anthony Wang | @anthonyw_photog, Paulo Sousa, Joseph Dunatov | @dunatovdesign, Jürgen Hammermann | @limited_49, Parham Taghioff | @parhamtaghioff, Dario Lo Presti | @dariolop83, Masaki Yazaki | @masakichi.2222, Mario Tarantino | @mariotarantinophotography, Werner Schwehm | @Leipzig_trifft_Wien, Elizabeth Crane | @lizcraneart, Ming Cheng | @architectming, Shuchuan Liu | @chuanzai945, Josbel Tinoco The post 1950s petrol station wins photo of the year at architecture photography awards 2025 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
tadao ando breaks ground on national museum of uzbekistan in tashkent, set to open 2028
- architecture
- ATELIER BRÜCKNER
- museums and galleries
- tadao ando 安藤忠雄
ando’s design integrates his signature use of clear geometric volumes with spatial references to uzbekistan’s architectural traditions.
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tadao ando’s National Museum of Uzbekistan starts to rise The groundbreaking ceremony for the National Museum of Uzbekistan is set to take place today, on August 27th, 2025, in Tashkent, marking the start of Tadao Ando’s first large-scale commission in Central Asia. Scheduled to open in March 2028, the new institution is designed to become the country’s leading cultural landmark, conceived as both a civic hub and a gateway connecting the country’s heritage with global artistic exchange. Previewed at the Uzbekistan Pavilion of Expo 2025 in Osaka, Ando’s design integrates his signature use of clear geometric volumes with spatial references to Uzbekistan’s architectural traditions. The 40,038 square meter building unfolds as a composition of three pure forms, a circle, a square, and a triangle, with exhibition design by German studio Atelier Brückner. ‘By building with these pure forms, I wanted to return to the origins of thought and create a space from which powerful ideas could be sent out into the world,’ shares Tadao Ando. ‘I hope that the Museum will serve as a new center of creative expression directed towards the world.’ renderings by Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, unless stated otherwise A Home for more than 100,000 Artworks in Tashkent Located in the heart of Tashkent, between the Abulkasym Madrasa, Istiqlol Art Palace, and the monument to Alisher Navoi, the National Museum of Uzbekistan situates itself in dialogue with the city’s historic fabric and its aspirations for cultural renewal. The project, commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), underscores the nation’s ambition to position art and culture at the core of its future identity. The complex, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, will house over 8,500 square meters of permanent and temporary exhibition halls alongside a public library, lecture hall, education rooms, conservation laboratories, and a multifunctional auditorium. A rooftop terrace and green zone extend the museum’s role into public life, while amenities such as a bookstore and café invite visitors to linger. The collection itself, one of the largest in Central Asia, numbers more than 100,000 works. Until now, only a fraction, around 2%, could be displayed at any one time. The new building resolves this limitation, providing space for both monumental installations and rotating exhibitions. Visitors will encounter pieces spanning Uzbekistan’s diverse traditions as well as works from East Asia, India, and Europe, many of which have remained unseen until now. ‘The National Museum of Uzbekistan reflects our revitalized cultural potential and serves as a vivid expression of our country’s noble aspirations to create creative spaces that inspire, unite, and set an example for future generations. It will stand as a majestic symbol of the New Uzbekistan, representing its rich heritage and openness to the world,’ notes President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Tadao Ando’s first large-scale commission in Central Asia the design integrates his signature use of clear geometric volumes spatial references to Uzbekistan’s architectural traditions commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) the collection numbers more than 100,000 works | rendering by Atelier Brückner the complex will house over 8,500 square meters of exhibition halls | rendering by Atelier Brückner the building also houses a public library, lecture hall, education rooms and more | rendering by Atelier Brückner designed to become the country’s leading cultural landmark | rendering by Atelier Brückner connecting Uzbekistan’s heritage with global artistic exchange | rendering by Atelier Brückner amenities such as a bookstore and café invite visitors to linger | rendering by Atelier Brückner project info: name: National Museum of Uzbekistan architect: Tadao Ando Architect & Associates location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan gross floor area: 40,038 square meters exhibition design: Atelier Brückner | @atelierbrueckner opening: March 2028 commissioned by: Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) | @acdfuz The post tadao ando breaks ground on national museum of uzbekistan in tashkent, set to open 2028 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
studio bressan transforms italian farmhouse into residence with double-height glass portico
- architecture
- readers
- architecture in italy
- residential architecture and interiors
studio bressan's renovation of a traditional italian farmhouse uses a double-height glass extension that opens the home to light, nature, and panoramic views.
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FARMHOUSE RENOVATION BY STUDIO BRESSAN Studio Bressan transforms an old rural farmhouse into a contemporary residence, adding a new double-height glass portico to Casolare Biordo Vecchio, located in the hills of Asolo, Italy. This architectural gesture serves as a modern extension of the original dwelling’s traditional covered porch, marking a deliberate transition from an introverted to a more outward-facing condition. While the original stone facade remains largely discreet, the new addition fully unveils the home’s spaces to the landscape, creating a continuous dialogue between the building and its natural surroundings. Studio Bressan transforms old farmhouse into a contemporary residence | all images courtesy of Studio Bressan double-height glass EXTENSION brings in brightness Located on a natural slope along Via Biordo Vecchio, the renovated farmhouse by Studio Bressan sits within a small cluster of homes facing the public road. Once past the entrance gate, the house reveals itself discreetly, dominated by the original stone facade that preserves the building’s history and ensures the privacy of the interior spaces. It is only upon rounding the southeast corner that the main architectural gesture — the expansion of the southern portico with a new double-height glass volume — unveils, creating a fan-shaped opening that frames the greenery and draws in the view, transforming the living area into a bright space. the home is located in the hills of Asolo, Italy living area unfolds as a single fluid space Inside, the home’s interiors are warm and bright, defined by a palette of natural and textured surfaces. Floors of oak wood and travertine, light plaster finishes, and exposed beams tell the story of a strong bond with tradition. Natural light enters through wide openings, creating soft atmospheres, while the new portico becomes a living frame that brings the quietness of the hills indoors. The spatial organization follows a clear and functional logic: the living area unfolds as a single fluid space with visual continuity to the outside, while the upstairs bedrooms retain a more intimate and reserved character. On the exterior, the exposed stone and pitched roof honor the region’s typical architectural language, while a natural, muted color palette helps the farmhouse blend harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. the original stone facade remains largely discreet the architects add a double-height glass extension, opening up the home to light, nature, and panoramic views this architectural gesture serves as a modern extension of the original dwelling’s traditional covered porch a deliberate transition from an introverted to a more outward-facing condition the fan-shaped opening frames the greenery and draws in the view, transforming the living area into a bright space the living area unfolds as a single fluid space with visual continuity to the outside the home’s interiors are warm and bright, defined by a palette of natural and textured surfaces natural light enters through wide openings the upstairs bedrooms retain a more intimate and reserved character the exposed stone and pitched roof honor the region’s typical architectural language project info: name: Casolare Biordo Vecchio designer: Studio Bressan | @studiobressan location: Asolo, Italy designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: lisa kostyra | designboom The post studio bressan transforms italian farmhouse into residence with double-height glass portico appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
ceramic tiles tell stories of barcelona’s residents in restored social housing by MIAS architects
- architecture
- architecture in barcelona
- architecture in spain
- ceramic art and design
- renovation and restoration architecture and design
- residential architecture and interiors
- social housing
transforms a decaying apartment block into a housing complex built around a detailed central courtyard.
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MIAS architects reimagines Barcelona’s historic building In Barcelona’s Raval district, MIAS Architects completes Lady Raval, a social housing project that revitalizes a once-fragmented building. Positioned on the emblematic Hospital Street, the team revamps a historic structure, weaving in the cultural richness of the neighborhood and the lived experiences of its community. Awarded first prize in the city’s competition, the restoration transforms a decaying apartment block into a bright housing complex built around a richly detailed central courtyard. At the center of the transformation is the courtyard, brought back to life as both the heart of the building and a space shared by everyone who lives there. Once closed off and cluttered, it’s been opened up and redesigned as a calm, welcoming area that connects all the homes. The architecture here tells a story using textured walls, handmade ceramics, and colors inspired by everyday objects like fabrics, food, and tools. These elements reflect the different cultures and backgrounds of the people who live in Raval, many of whom are returning to live in this newly restored space. ‘The project is both a refurbishment of a historic building in central Barcelona and a tribute to the memory and cultural roots of its inhabitants,’ notes Josep Miàs, director and founder of MIAS Architects. all images by Adrià Goula lady raval transformed by removing additions Internationally recognized MIAS Architects maintains the integrity of the original structure while reconfiguring the interior into a series of open, light-filled spaces that invite connection and comfort. Lady Raval is made up of two parts, one facing the street and another L-shaped wing that wraps around its central courtyard. Over the years, these spaces had been broken up into tiny units, with makeshift additions, even on the roof, making the building feel cramped and chaotic. The architectural team removed these additions and brought back a clearer layout, with two apartments per floor in the front building and three per floor in the wing. They kept the two staircases, added a lift in each section to make the building accessible, and a shop on the ground floor that still opens out onto the street, staying part of the daily life of the neighborhood. MIAS Architects use handmade ceramic tiles in the courtyard ceramic tiles narrate the residents’ personal stories Working closely with architect and ceramist Carlos Jiménez Cenamor, MIAS Architects use handmade ceramic frames in the courtyard to bring in patterns and shapes inspired by the cultural backgrounds of the residents. These ceramic details are tied to personal and collective stories, helping the space feel familiar and full of meaning. The colors are bright and warm, and together with plants that hang from balconies, they give the courtyard a sense of life. MIAS redesigned Lady Raval’s circulation areas, staircases, landings, and hallways so they feel open and welcoming. With added windows and carefully placed openings, light passes through the whole building, and people can see and connect with each other. at the center of the project is the courtyard these ceramic details are tied to personal and collective stories the colors are bright and warm, reviving the space bringing in patterns and shapes inspired by the cultural backgrounds of the residents these elements reflect the different cultures and backgrounds of the people who live in Raval MIAS Architects maintains the integrity of the original structure reconfiguring the interior into a series of open, light-filled spaces the project transforms a decaying apartment block into a bright housing complex project info: name: Lady Raval architect: MIAS Architects | @miasarchitects location: Raval, Barcelona, Spain ceramics: Carlos Jiménez Cenamor (DelAmorYlaBelleza) | @delamorylabelleza photographer: Adrià Goula | @adriagoulaphoto The post ceramic tiles tell stories of barcelona’s residents in restored social housing by MIAS architects appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

A community for students, professionals, and lovers of architecture.
What Style Is This? / What Is This Thing? MEGATHREAD
- architecture
Welcome to the What Style Is This? / What Is This Thing ? megathread, an opportunity to ask about the history and design of individual buildings and their elements, including details and materials. Top-level posts to this thread should include at least one image and the following information if known: name of designer(s), date(s) of construction, building location, and building function (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, religious). In this thread, less is NOT more. Providing the requested information will give you a better chance of receiving a complete and accurate response. Further discussion of architectural styles is permitted as a response to top-level posts. submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]
Computer Hardware & Software Questions MEGATHREAD
- architecture
Please use this stickied megathread to post all your questions related to computer hardware and software. This includes asking about products and system requirements (e.g., what laptop should I buy for architecture school?) as well as issues related to drafting, modeling, and rendering software (e.g., how do I do this in Revit?) submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]
Stumbled across an absolutely insane train station during a transfer in Kyushu, Japan (JR Yukuhashi Station)
- architecture
submitted by /u/frozenpandaman [link] [comments]

Soulful Workspace Rooted in Biophilic Design
- architecture
submitted by /u/foaid [link] [comments]

Congress and Exhibitions Centre in Plasencia, Spain - Selgascano (2005-2017)
- architecture
submitted by /u/Kixdapv [link] [comments]

Three styles, one shot
- architecture
submitted by /u/UndergroundMoon [link] [comments]

What 20th and 21st century buildings would you bet on surviving/being preserved for people in a thousand years to admire?
- architecture
I would bet lots of modern large scale infrastructure projects and simple strongly built structures will survive a while, but I'm more wondering about the kind of structures that were intended to be admired by common people in its time submitted by /u/DataSittingAlone [link] [comments]

Kaohsiung Music Center, Taiwan
- architecture
submitted by /u/sonderewander [link] [comments]

Yugoslavian socialist architecture
- architecture
1- Known as the "TV building", Block 28, New Belgrade, Serbia 2- Eastern City Gate apartment block, Belgrade, Serbia 3- Karaburma Housing Tower, also known as the ‘Toblerone’ building, in the Karaburma district in Belgrade 4- Housing Block 23, Belgrade, Serbia 5- Belgrade Fair – Hall 1 6- Belgrade Fair – Hall 1 7- Clinical Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia 8- Ilinden Memorial, Kruševo, Macedonia 9- Hotel Zlatibor, Užice, Serbia 10- Block 45, New Belgrade, 1970s submitted by /u/Comfortable_Sweet667 [link] [comments]

The Palm Springs House in California
- architecture
submitted by /u/kkhouete [link] [comments]

How screwed am I?
- architecture
I never took highschool seriously and I never knew what I wanted to do until about 6 months ago. I've been a c student for most of highschool. Now I want to be an architect more that anything in the whole world to be an architect. How fucked am I? My goal is 2.9 and I'm in my senior year. I'm taking calculus and physics this year and I have a lot of logged volunteer time and I'm willing to do basically anything I can after highschool to make my chances higher too. submitted by /u/Dream_walker_boy [link] [comments]
What do you guys think would have happened to the original World Trade Center twin towers if 9/11 never happened?
- architecture
Would they still be in use today, or would they have faced vacancy issues.Like would they still be a tourist attraction considering it had one of the nesto outdoor observation deck what are your thoughts. submitted by /u/Opposite-Craft-3498 [link] [comments]

1980s contemporary home in Kentucky
- architecture
I submitted by /u/Fragrant-Helicopter1 [link] [comments]

Approved project for a Concert Hall in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas. Does this kind of project fit the surroundings?
- architecture
I personally believe the project doesn’t really fit the surroundings, especially with all that glass and brightness. The sharp, glowing box-like design feels somewhat out of place by the water and in contrast with Kaunas and its natural landscape. In my opinion, keeping the wooden base as a stronger visual element would look much better, while replacing part of the bright glass facade with a warmer mix of wood and windows could make it blend more harmoniously. The overall concept of the project is impressive, but for some reason, it just doesn’t look entirely right in this riverside setting. What’s your opinions? submitted by /u/Matas_- [link] [comments]

Aghazadeh house, Yazd, Iran
- architecture
submitted by /u/SoggyConclusion4674 [link] [comments]

Any idea ?
- architecture
Hey, I’m starting my second year of architecture studies in France, and I’d love to get some recommendations to help me develop my architectural culture. I’m open to any styIe or period, from any country just something you find inspiring or worth learning about. submitted by /u/kingudark [link] [comments]
Alcázar of Toledo, Spain
- architecture
submitted by /u/JSNLEONARD [link] [comments]

Please Help. Extreme Burnout.
- architecture
Hello guys. I'm tired and I feel like I don't have any form of discipline for years now ever since before I entered Architecture in Uni and it never got better since despite years of therapy and meds. I'm in my 4th years going on 5th and I have GPA of 2.7. Last 2 years were hell and I kept getting panic attacks before any submission bec I can never finish on time + everyhing I came up with is shit. I cannot take a year off because the years younger than me has a new system implemented with different subjects etc And if I go through that I might graduate at least another 5 more years. This summer I took a subject at Uni and had dropped it last minute because I could have failed it (Cumalative marks couldn't make me pass the final) and I have been taking a course design related and I couldn't bring myself to do anything for weeks since it started. I was taking it in hopes I improve in design because I never properly was able to do normally in any design I took so far.. My head is always full yet empty. I cannot retain info and procrastination and running away is all I know. Please help. I feel like I love arvhitecture but I just don't have it in me anymore to push. Even though I have done basically zero effort this summer and I start Uni next month and I am so not ready. submitted by /u/burnedoutphoenixx [link] [comments]
The Vanishing Art Of Building Sacred Spaces | NOEMA
- architecture
submitted by /u/bethany_mcguire [link] [comments]

Trip to Prague
- architecture
The various styles are beautiful submitted by /u/mortal-cheese-engine [link] [comments]

Manual rendering
- architecture
Hello! Im a first year architecture. And as you all know first year workloads are all manual rendering (pens and papers) atleast in my country. Im acrylic user and I was just wondering how to get better at rendering using alcohol markers? Right now I'm using colored pencil as an alternative but it takes a lot of time especially when im rendering a plate of 15*20. A lot of our professors recommend using alcohol markers when rendering our plates and I've seen all of my classmates use them as well. I've tried using it but it doesn't really look good but its easy and less time consuming than using colored pencil. Are there any tips you can give? Channels I can learn from? And what about on the designing process especially on studio subjects, like esquisse? Esquisse are my weakpoints especially with the time limit to work with. How do you come up with good concepts? What are your thought process? Right now the only way I can think of learning is surfing through architectural magazines. What are your tips? Thank you very much! submitted by /u/Big-Deer-6898 [link] [comments]
The Chancellery of the Central Committee of the Komsomol, Moscow, 1974
- architecture
submitted by /u/comradegallery [link] [comments]

Non-architecture undergrad considering M.Arch - how do I even start?
- architecture
I graduated in 2022 with a BA in Financial Planning and a minor in Real Estate (GPA 3.2). Since then I’ve worked in financial services, quality assurance, and project coordination. While I’ve learned a lot, I find the financial industry soulless and not something I want long-term. I’m 25 now and honestly feel lost career wise so I’m trying to figure out the smartest way forward before committing to grad school. I’ve always been drawn to architecture and real estate, and I’m now seriously considering a Master’s in Architecture. I know architecture is extremely time consuming, the early pay is bad, and the career path is demanding however I’d rather pursue something I’m passionate about than stay in a career I dread. My long-term goal would be to work for a firm, get licensed, and eventually start my own firm or transition into real estate development. Here’s where I’d love advice from the community: What’s the best way to build a portfolio with no formal architecture background? All I have currently is a strong photography collection but I know I need other projects to boost my applications competitiveness. Does anyone know where I can see sample portfolios from students who came from non-architecture backgrounds? What skills should I be working on now to make the transition smoother? Are there specific classes (online or community college) that would prepare me for a Master’s program? Which programs would you recommend for someone in my shoes? (I qualify for WRGP in-state tuition and am especially looking at University of Washington and Arizona State). If you came into architecture from a non-design background, what helped you the most? Any insights or personal stories would be appreciated I want to make sure I approach this transition in the smartest way possible. submitted by /u/EquivalentStrategy04 [link] [comments]
Design Philosophy
- architecture
I'm currently looking to take on more work so I've been in the job market for a bit now. Some potential employers are asking what is your design philosophy. In our current climate of HGTV and Pinterest where from what I've encountered, clients come to the table with predetermined ideas of what they want in regards to design. Any thoughts- is this what other people are encountering? Should I just be practical in my response? submitted by /u/BlackWolfDesign [link] [comments]
Tokyo Tower
- architecture
submitted by /u/International-Drag23 [link] [comments]

Hiring timeline for summer 2026 entry level internship
- architecture
Hello, I'm an international bachelor's student aiming for a summer internship for 2026, specifically in NYC and maybe LA. Being a third year student I'll probably be aiming for the most entry level intern positions. I was wondering about the general hiring timeline/process for entry level summer interns at all scales of firms. When should I be fully ready, mass applying, networking, etc. Thanks! submitted by /u/MemeSpecialist42 [link] [comments]
Is there any evidence that mosques or Hindu temples are based on psychedelic experiences?
- architecture
I've been wondering if the intricate designs, symmetry, and symbolism found in mosques and Hindu temples could have been influenced by psychedelic experiences. Are there any historical records, academic studies, or credible theories that suggest a connection between sacred architecture and altered states of consciousness? submitted by /u/RalKwy [link] [comments]

Inside Lainey Wilson’s Eclectic Nashville Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest
Today, AD is welcomed by country music sensation Lainey Wilson to tour her Nashville home. Best known for her breakout album Bell Bottom Country, Wilson takes us inside the first home she has fully designed. From leopard print stair carpets to sparkling gold ceilings, Wilson’s home is her imagination come to life, blending vintage Americana, personal mementos, and Southern charm. The home is filled with meaningful touches, including a portrait of her 31-year-old horse, Tex, and preserved wood flooring from the original Grand Ole Opry stage. The musician has created the perfect sanctuary full of warmth and character to kick back and relax. Shop the country star’s style with our editor-curated selection of furniture and decor inspired by her home: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/lainey-wilson-open-door 00:00 Intro 00:18 Entryway 01:51 Living Room 04:37 Kitchen 05:39 The Emerald Hall 06:06 The Jungle Room 08:21 Closet 11:01 Bedroom 13:12 Landing Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Inside Christopher Meloni’s Serene NYC Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest
Today, AD is welcomed by Christopher Meloni to tour his New York City home. The Law and Order: Organized Crime star and his wife transformed their West Village penthouse into an eclectic, art-filled space. Originally one floor, Meloni purchased the apartment below and had a custom staircase by Gabrielle Shelton built in to connect them, creating more space. With uninterrupted views of the NYC skyline, the actor has filled his space with warmth through walnut walls, Moroccan rugs, and personal touches from his youth and travels to create a serene space for his family to enjoy. Christopher Meloni's wardrobe supplied by Rag & Bone Shop pieces inspired by the actor’s home with our editor-curated selection: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/christopher-meloni-open-door Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Do Your Primary Bedroom and Bathroom Need to Match?
'Queer Eye' star Jeremiah Brent answers your questions about bedroom design. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Riz Ahmed Answers Rapid-Fire Questions About How He Lives At Home | Architectural Digest
What’s it like to live with Riz Ahmed? AD sat down with the 'Relay' star to ask him a series of rapid-fire questions about his daily habits, home routines, and personal rules. From whether shoes are allowed indoors to how often he changes his sheets, Riz reveals all–including his controversial views on pillows. Talent: Riz Ahmed Director: Jasia Ka Producer: Skylar Economy Director of Photography: Mar Alfonso Editor: Jess Lane Production Manager: Jamie Rasmussen Project Manager: Melissa Heber Production Coordinator: Dylan Tonken Talent Booker: Jenna Caldwell Camera Operator: Chloe Ramos Sound Recordist: Rebecca O'Neill Production Assistant: Quinton Johnson Set Designer: Jeremy Derbyshire-Myles Visuals Assistant: Amanda Broll Director of Creative Development: Morgan Crossley Executive Producer: Keleigh Nealon Senior Producer: Alyssa Marino Williams Director, Post Production: Nicholas Ascanio Post Production Supervisor: Andrew Montague Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew Supervising Editor: Christina Mankellow Assistant Editor: Fynn Lithgow Art & Graphics Lead: Léa Kichler Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Which Squid Game Cast Member Build Furniture the Fastest?
The 'Squid Game' season 3 cast have just three minutes to build a flatpack stool–who will be the fastest? Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Inside Tyga’s Modern Barcelona Penthouse | Open Door | Architectural Digest
Today, AD is welcomed by rapper Tyga to tour his modern penthouse in Barcelona. Designed to feel like a daily escape, the home blends New York penthouse style, LA comfort, and Japanese art influences to create a sleek, minimalist sanctuary. Perched above the city with panoramic views of the Barcelona skyline, this airy space captures the essence of a permanent vacation. But the true highlight? A direct view of the legendary FC Barcelona stadium—his son’s favorite soccer team. Shop the rapper’s style with our editor-curated selection of furniture and decor inspired by his home: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/tyga-open-door Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Why is this Building Called the Walkie Talkie?
Architect Nick Potts delves into the Walkie Talkie, one of London's most unique skyscrapers. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

No Heating Needed in this Home–Just the Sun
This bioclimatic home in Barcelona doesn't need heating or air conditioning–it's regulated entirely by nature. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

How the 'Wednesday' Set Helps Emma Myers Get Into Character
The impressive Nevermore set on 'Wednesday' makes slipping into a fantasy world easier for Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair). Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Inside The World’s Largest Private Home: India’s Lakshmi Vilas Palace | Architectural Digest
Today, AD is welcomed by Radhikaraje Gaekwad to tour her family’s stunning residence, Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, India. Still home to the Vadodara royal family, this magnificent palace holds the title of the largest private residence in the world, spanning four times the size of Buckingham Palace. Built over 11 years (1879-1890), this 135-year-old palace beautifully blends influences from around the world, including Indian sandstone, Italian mosaics, Islamic lacquer ceilings, and Belgian chandeliers. Despite its size and grandeur, Lakshmi Vilas Palace has always been a cherished family home filled with generations of happy memories for the Gaekwad family. Experience the elegance and rich history of this extraordinary palace, where tradition meets global artistry in a truly unique setting. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

The Property Brothers Answer Home Ownership Questions From Instagram | Q&AD | Architectural Digest
Today on AD, the Property Brothers, Jonathan and Drew Scott, are answering your top real estate questions from Instagram. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, planning a renovation, or navigating the ins and outs of property ownership, Jonathan and Drew are here to share expert advice, insider tips, and budget-friendly strategies to help you make confident real estate decisions. Check out the Property Brothers' newest show, Chasing the West, now airing on HGTV. https://www.hgtv.com/shows/chasing-the-west 00:00 Intro 00:25 What three things do I need before I’m ready to buy a home? 01:14 When does it make more financial sense to rent vs buy? 02:20 Are there still affordable places to buy houses in America? 03:01 What are the stages of buying a home? 03:51 Do you need a 20% down payment to buy a home? 04:39 How do you know if a home is a money pit? 05:59 What types of property bring back the most ROI for an investor? 06:40 How do I find and vet a good general contractor? 07:53 How do you build home improvement skills? 09:10 Any advice on preserving structures and memories while renovating for your own needs? 10:24 How do you get rid of that subtle ‘old house smell’? 11:36 What’s the smartest way to plan and use my budget for every phase of a renovation? Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Touring the ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Set (ft Emma Myers) | Set Tour | Architectural Digest
Join Architectural Digest as we explore the set of ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 with actress Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair) and production designer Mark Scruton. As Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) returns to Nevermore Academy for another year, Scruton reveals how the show’s gothic set design brings the world of Nevermore to life—perfectly setting the stage for fresh mysteries and supernatural twists. 00:00 Intro 00:23 The Link 03:08 Production Office 05:24 Morticia’s Cottage 08:49 Dr. Orloff’s Biology Classroom 10:08 Principal Dort’s Office 12:34 Pugsley’s Dorm Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Inside Carrie Bradshaw's Shoe Collection
If there is one thing Carrie Bradshaw is known for, it's her love of shoes. Take a look at her 'And Just Like That' shoe collection, including some familiar Manolo Blahniks. Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

How to Shop Flea Markets Like a Pro
Interior designer Ross Cassidy is here to teach you how to shop flea and antiques markets like a pro! Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Inside a Hidden LA Greenhouse Full of the World’s Rarest Plants | Architectural Digest
Today on Architectural Digest, we're joined by AD100 landscape designer Carlos Campos Morera to tour the Geoponika greenhouse. Tucked away in a former truck loading bay within a Los Angeles industrial estate, this extraordinary urban greenhouse is home to some of the world’s rarest and most exotic plants. Carlos takes us behind the scenes of this one-of-a-kind space, sharing insights into what it takes to care for and maintain such a remarkable collection of plants. Time-lapse footage by Marshall Birnbaum Feeling inspired? Subscribe to AD and get a free tote with your subscription! → https://bit.ly/4jBCUMl Still haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST The leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.

Her Tiny Home is a Showstopper! 😍 #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour

This Spacious Tiny House is Like a Mini Mansion
In this week’s episode we meet Linda, who has created an ultra spacious tiny house on the beautiful Gold Coast of New South Wales. This is a home that feels like a little mansion, designed to make the most of both indoor and outdoor living. The layout of this tiny home is outstanding. There’s a large kitchen, an open and inviting living room, and a loft with a walkway that connects the bedroom to a home office. Every corner has been carefully thought through, with warm and welcoming styling that makes the house feel comfortable and full of character. Linda’s home is part of a wonderful multigenerational living arrangement. Parked in her parents’ garden, this setup allows her to stay close to family and offer support as her parents grow older. It’s a beautiful example of how tiny houses can create sustainable and connected ways of living. From the garden landscaping that ties the house into its surroundings, to the cosy interior design, this tiny home has everything you could hope for in a space that balances practicality, comfort and beauty. Join us as we tour Linda’s ultra spacious tiny house that truly feels like a little mansion. ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #TinyHouse #HomeTour #TinyHome #MultigenerationalLiving #TinyHouseTour

Incredible BIG Tiny House with Incredible Storage! 🤩 #tinyhousetour #smallhome

A Jaw-Dropping Subtropical Tiny House 🤩 #tinyhousetour #home

Downsizing & Simple Living in Her Extraordinary Minimalist Tiny Home
Wendy made the bold decision to leave her three-bedroom home behind and downsize into a stunning minimalist tiny house. Her dream was to simplify her life, free up her time, and focus on the things she truly loves, and she has achieved exactly that. Her tiny home is a beautiful blend of modern-minimalist design with retro touches. A fresh white interior is brought to life with vibrant pops of colour from her décor, stunning light features, lush plants, and sparkling crystals that bring nature indoors. Every corner reflects her personality and creativity. Wendy works from home, so she added an incredibly clever second tiny house trailer that connects to the main home. This additional space includes a dedicated work pod, a pull-out bed for guests, and a covered deck to extend her outdoor living area. The twin-trailer design means her home can be moved with ease if she ever chooses a new location. She has found the perfect parking spot, with sweeping views over a peaceful dam and abundant wildlife all around. Here, she can work, relax, and enjoy nature from the comfort of her own space. Downsizing has given Wendy more freedom, less housework, and a home that supports her lifestyle perfectly. We hope you enjoy the tour of this simply stunning tiny home! 😍 ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #TinyHouse #Minimalist #Downsizing #SmallSpaceLiving #TinyHouseTour #TinyHome

Cozy Tiny House Movie Nights with Paramount+ #ad
Thanks to Paramount+ for sponsoring today's video. Don’t miss the Paramount+ Summer Sale—get your first two months for just 99 cents a month! #ad

Stunning SUPERSIZED Tiny House! 🤩 #tinyhousetour

Sacred Geometry in a Tiny Home 😍 #tinyhousetour

Inside a Poet’s Cozy Tiny Home 📚 Built for Books, Beauty & His Beloved Hound
Tour a tiny home filled with books, art and charm, where a poet and his loyal hound share a life of creativity and quiet beauty. Step inside the tiny home of a poet and his much-loved rescue hound, Billy-Blue (although who saved who is really in question). This is a warm and inviting space, filled with books, art and the simple pleasures of a quiet life. Phillip's home is small, but the world it holds is vast. Most of the space is dedicated to his incredible collection of books, from beautiful limited editions to rare collector’s copies. For any book lover, it is pure heaven. Although Phillip describes himself as a bit of a recluse, his books carry him to every corner of the globe, into the past, the future, and into realms of pure imagination. From his green Chicago armchair, he can go anywhere. Beyond his home, Phil shares his love of words on his BookTube channel, where he talks about poetry, writing, culture and more. You can find him here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@apoetreadstowrite We hope you enjoy this tour of a truly special little home, where a poet, his loyal hound and a lifetime of stories come together under one roof. ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #booktube #poetry #tinyhome #simpleliving #art

A Stunning Tiny House in a Subtropical Paradise! ❤️ #tinyhome
A yacht captains spectacular, minimalist tiny home in a subtropical paradise!

Superyacht Captain Builds Jaw-Dropping Tiny Home Paradise in the Australian Rainforest
Step inside this absolutely breathtaking modern tiny home set deep in the heart of the Australian rainforest. Here amongst the towering trees, tiny house magic has been created! Built by superyacht captain Johny, this stunning rainforest tiny house is a personal paradise, designed as the ultimate retreat from the world. When he's not sailing the globe with the rich and famous, Johny returns to this peaceful sanctuary to surf, recharge, and reconnect with nature. The home itself is a masterclass in tiny house design. With a single-level layout and a focus on openness and flow, it makes the most of its lush surroundings. Massive picture windows bring the forest inside, creating a seamless connection to the outdoors. The home feels expansive, calm, and deeply rooted in its environment. Outside, the landscaping is equally as impressive. A generous deck expands the living area into the forest, while natural elements like boulders and large timber logs have been thoughtfully placed to ground the home in the landscape. It’s the perfect blend of modern design and raw, untamed nature. This is a tiny home that you won't want to miss. We absolutely loved getting to visit this rainforest retreat and share Johny’s incredible story with you. We hope you enjoy the tour as much as we did. ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Additional video supplied by Johny Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #rainforest #tinyhouseparadise #tinyhome #innature #homedesign

Gorgeous Industrial-Style Tiny Home In The Big City!
A huge thank-you to Odoo for sponsoring this video and helping to make what we do possible. Find how Odoo can help you start or grow your business: https://www.odoo.com/r/OPR2 This week we explore a brilliant industrial modern style tiny house thats located just a stone's throw from downtown Sydney. This really is a tiny house with it all - a lovely private parking spot yet still in the absolute heart of everything! Zoe and Reece have built their dream tiny house here. It may be tiny but it’s absolutely packed full of style. From the moment Zoe first laid eyes on a tiny home, she knew that she wanted to build one. Reece admits he took a bit of convincing but the couple dived in to this project together and the result is amazing. They have created a stylish home with a strong industrial modern vibe. This home has a truly unique vibe, from it’s moody, cosy dark interior and use of strong materials like metal, concrete and a collection of reclaimed materials such as a stained glass door and a feature lamp from an old firehouse, this eclectically styled home is packed full of personality! One of the best things about this tiny house is that it's fully legal! Getting the tiny home approved by the city was not an easy task, but they managed to do it! Living in the tiny house has helped to give this young couple not only their very first home, but it’s enabled them to take some big risks. Lower overheads have allowed Zoe to focus on her sport where she represents Australia in weightlifting! Currently she is training for the Commonwealth Games with her eyes on the Olympics in the future. You can follow her sporting journey via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.lisha/ We hope you enjoy the tour of this very special urban tiny home! ❤️ ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Additional video supplied by Zoe & Reece Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhousetour #bigcitytinyhouse #urbantinyhouse #tinyhome #citylife #freedom

A Brilliantly Beautiful Bus Home & Sustainable Business For Life On The Road
A huge thank-you to Odoo for sponsoring this video and helping to make what we do possible. Find how Odoo can help you start or grow your business: https://www.odoo.com/r/yCed Join us this week as we meet the inspiring Marion and Alexis, a couple who built a stunning bus home and a sustainable business to create a life of freedom. Their beautiful self-converted bus allows them to travel full time across Australia while working remotely and living life on their own terms. From the outside, their home looks like an ordinary bus. Step inside, though, and you’ll discover a warm, welcoming space filled with charm and character. With natural Australian timbers throughout, this bus feels more like a cozy tiny home than a vehicle on wheels. But this lifestyle didn’t come easily. Marion and Alexis poured countless hours into transforming the bus and building a business that supports their nomadic life. Now, they have the ultimate freedom to work from anywhere and explore not just Australia, but the world. Their business supplies sustainable compostable packaging to cafes and restaurants. As the couple travel around Australia they are able to visit clients and help to grow the business. This is a powerful story of determination, creativity and sustainable living. Whether you're dreaming of van life, tiny homes or starting your own remote business, this episode is sure to inspire. Follow their journey and get ready to be inspired by what’s possible when you combine a love of travel with purpose-driven design and business. To find out more about Marion and Alexis' business, you can find them here on YouTube: @CompostPeopleOnTheRoad ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Additional video supplied by Marion & Alexis Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #homeonwheels #buslife #freedom #homeontheroad #travel #sustainablebusiness

They Built a Tiny House on a Dump Truck!? 🤪 This is WILD!
We've never seen anything quite like this before! At only 8m2 (86ft2) this ultra tiny house has been brilliantly designed to fit onto the back of a dump truck (called a tip truck in Australia)! Despite its very compact size, this is a tiny home that has absolutely everything its owner / builders, Steve and Jade need. It feels spacious thanks to some good design and the height of the structure, and has a large kitchen area, plenty of storage, a comfortable place to sleep and even a toilet and two showers! The tiny house has been cleverly designed to fit onto the back of Steve's work tip truck. This truck is used to house his tools as well as building materials for his jobs. The truck tips up and a clever winch system is used to pull the house onto the bed ready to travel! Steve and Jade are a super creative couple who dreamed of a life on the road exploring Australia. Both have the ability to work during their travels, Steve as a traveling builder and Jade as an artist and tattoo artist. Together in their tiny home, they are able to travel and work, chasing the warmth and adventure! We hope you enjoy the tour of this one-of-a-kind tiny house! To find out more about Steve's on-the-road carpentry, you can follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavbuilds/ For Jade's art and tattoo work, you can also find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadelomaxart/ ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Additional photos and video supplied by Steve and Jade. Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhousetour #tiptruck #homeontheroad #travelandwork #hometour

Spectacular Tiny House Inspired by Natures Most Magical Architects
This spectacular beehive-inspired tiny house is like none other. Filled with light, beauty and art this is a tiny home that's easy to fall in love with. Emily is a beekeeper, although I don't think that's a a good way to describe her. Perhaps bee whisperer would be more appropriate. She is someone who loves bees and has dedicated herself to unveiling all they have to teach us. This love for the bee world has heavily influenced the design of her tiny home. Taking deign inspiration from nature and the bee's has helped her to create a wonderfully whimsical home that's filled with character and unique design ideas. Here, she has created a beautiful off-the-grid home for herself as well as her daughter Olive. The home is spacious and filled with light which pours through an enviable collection of vintage stained glass windows that add a tremendous amount of colour to the home. There is a great sized kitchen, massive walk-in wardrobe and twin lofts. The home beautifully extends into the wonderful surrounding gardens and forest beyond. Emily also has a channel here on YouTube where she documents her travels and adventures learning more about what the bee's have to teach us. You can find her here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCjGD5DtTWJGhDAAa7Wmc6lg and also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embodybee/ ❤️ If you enjoy our show and would like to help support our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livingbig 🌟 Our Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/livingbig 💡 Find out more about this tiny house and others on our website: https://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/ Please subscribe for more videos on tiny houses, architecture, DIY, design, and sustainable, off-grid living. Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud Additional photos and video supplied by Emily. Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhousetour #whimsicalhome #beekeeper #beehive #hometour #offthegrid

ArchDaily | Broadcasting Architecture Worldwide
JF Residence / KG Studio + Associates
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
This residence, located in a condominium in São José do Rio Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, had its architecture and interior design project completed in 2024. Situated on a plot of approximately 700m², with 600m² of built area distributed over two floors, it was conceived to enhance conviviality with family and friends. The proposal seeks to balance integration and privacy through ample and connected spaces that comfortably and practically meet daily demands.
© Miti Sameshima architects: kg studio Location: São José do Rio Preto, Brazil Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Miti Sameshima Area: 600.0 m2 Read more »
Living Beauty Retail Shop / Odami
- Commercial Architecture
- Retail
- Interior Design
- Retail Interiors
Throughout history, apothecaries have acted as spaces of both curiosity and care. Traditionally defined by dark wood, elaborate detailing, and a plethora of small drawers containing unseen intrigues, these service-forward spaces offered intimate consultations conducted on either side of a counter. Living Beauty boldly reinvents this bygone but invaluable typology, defining an impactful interior design identity for the luxury beauty retailer.
© John Alunan architects: Odami Location: Toronto, Canada Project Year: 2025 Photographs: John Alunan Area: 2500.0 ft2 Read more »
Mireia and Toni's House / Vora Arquitectura
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
The house is located on a narrow, deep plot between party walls, only 3.6 meters wide. Due to its depth, a central courtyard and a double-height space open up to bring natural light into the ground floor. Because of spatial constraints, the staircase is placed longitudinally in the center, paired with the courtyard. It connects levels at mid-height directly from the landings, avoiding corridors. As a result, the ground floor features two different interior heights: a regular height on the street side and a one-and-a-half-level height opening onto the garden at the rear.
© Adrià Goula architects: Vora Arquitectura Location: Badalona, Spain Project Year: 2023 Photographs: Adrià Goula Area: 165.0 m2 Read more »
Kindergarten Architecture: Imaginative Spaces Shaping Childhood and Creativity
Kindergarten architecture has long stood apart as a realm where design and imagination converge. Unlike most building typologies, these spaces are conceived not only to shelter and function but to shape the earliest experiences of curiosity, play, and social interaction. Throughout history, the design of kindergartens has evolved alongside pedagogical shifts, moving from modest, utilitarian beginnings to highly intentional environments that stimulate both learning and wonder. In this context, architecture becomes more than a backdrop — it becomes a silent educator, capable of nurturing emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
Cocoon Pre-primary Extension at Bloomingdale International School / andblack design studio. Image © Vinay Panjwani Kindergarten architecture has long stood apart as a realm where design and imagination converge. Unlike most building typologies, these spaces are conceived not only to shelter and function but to shape the earliest experiences of curiosity, play, and social interaction. Throughout history, the design of kindergartens has evolved alongside pedagogical shifts, moving from modest, utilitarian beginnings to highly intentional environments that stimulate both learning and wonder. In this context, architecture becomes more than a backdrop — it becomes a silent educator, capable of nurturing emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Read more »
UH Infonavit Santa Fe Community Park / AMASA Estudio
- Landscape Architecture
- Park
- Public Architecture
- Community
Located at the western edge of Mexico City, the project developed by AMASA Estudio in the INFONAVIT Santa Fe Housing Unit faced one of the most complex contexts within the set of interventions carried out in 2024. This unit presents a particular condition: having been built on a ravine area, the buildings are situated on uneven terrain, with considerable slopes that hinder both connectivity and accessibility among them.
© Zaickz Moz architects: AMASA Estudio Location: Ciudad de México, México Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Zaickz Moz Photographs: Gerardo Reyes Bustamante Read more »
Milano Cortina 2026: How the City Is Preparing for the Winter Olympics
Italy is preparing to host its third Olympic Winter Games as Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo welcome Milano Cortina 2026, seventy years after Cortina staged the 1956 edition and two decades after Torino 2006. The Games will take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, marking the first time the Winter Olympics are organized across two cities, two regions, Lombardy and Veneto, and two autonomous provinces, Trento and Bolzano. Covering a territory of 22,000 square kilometers, Milano Cortina 2026 will become the most geographically extensive Winter Games to date, with over 90% of venues already existing or designed as temporary facilities.
Olympic Village / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Image © SOM | Pixelflakes Italy is preparing to host its third Olympic Winter Games as Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo welcome Milano Cortina 2026, seventy years after Cortina staged the 1956 edition and two decades after Torino 2006. The Games will take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, marking the first time the Winter Olympics are organized across two cities, two regions, Lombardy and Veneto, and two autonomous provinces, Trento and Bolzano. Covering a territory of 22,000 square kilometers, Milano Cortina 2026 will become the most geographically extensive Winter Games to date, with over 90% of venues already existing or designed as temporary facilities. Read more »
The Travelers’ House / BBGK Architects + Katarzyna Mach
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
This house was meant to be a refuge, a place to return to, a space for preserving mementos and memories from distant journeys. It was with this request that the travelers approached architect Wojciech Kotecki, co-founder of BBGK Architekci, and architect Katarzyna Mach. The result was the Sadowski House, "a home of one's own": deeply personal, slightly introverted, yet open to its surroundings. A single-storey dwelling organized entirely on the ground level, nestled among pine trees. Hidden beneath a wide-spanning roof of tent-like geometry. Designed so that its inhabitants would always remain together.
© Nate Cook Photography architects: BBGK Architects architects: Katarzyna Mach Location: Warsaw, Poland Photographs: Nate Cook Photography Photographs: Yassen Hristov Read more »
Renzo Piano Building Workshop Reveals Design for KYKLOS Cultural Center in Piraeus, Greece
Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in collaboration with Betaplan Architects (Athens) and landscape architect Camille Muller (Paris), has revealed the first images of a new cultural center under development in Piraeus, the port of Athens. Commissioned by The Dinos and Lia Martinos Foundation (DLMF), the project seeks to establish an international hub connected to similar art centers abroad, open to the local community, students, and visitors, and contributing to the urban and cultural fabric of the Athens metropolitan area. The complex, called KYKLOS, is planned to host contemporary art collections and cultural programming with an international outlook. Initiated in 2023, the project is currently in development, with construction planned to extend through the last quarter of 2028.
RPBW's Kyklos Centre for Arts and Cultures project. Interior render. Image © MIR Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in collaboration with Betaplan Architects (Athens) and landscape architect Camille Muller (Paris), has revealed the first images of a new cultural center under development in Piraeus, the port of Athens. Commissioned by The Dinos and Lia Martinos Foundation (DLMF), the project seeks to establish an international hub connected to similar art centers abroad, open to the local community, students, and visitors, and contributing to the urban and cultural fabric of the Athens metropolitan area. The complex, called KYKLOS, is planned to host contemporary art collections and cultural programming with an international outlook. Initiated in 2023, the project is currently in development, with construction planned to extend through the last quarter of 2028. Read more »
Tadao Ando’s National Museum of Uzbekistan Breaks Ground in Tashkent
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) has announced the groundbreaking of the National Museum of Uzbekistan, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Marking Ando's first major project in Central Asia, the museum is envisioned as both an architectural and cultural landmark in Tashkent. Planned to open in March 2028, the building reflects Ando's minimalist architectural language, integrating references to Uzbekistan's heritage with his characteristic use of geometry, natural light, and spatial clarity.
National Museum of Uzbekistan, Render by Tadao Ando Architect & Associates. Image Courtesy of The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) has announced the groundbreaking of the National Museum of Uzbekistan, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Marking Ando's first major project in Central Asia, the museum is envisioned as both an architectural and cultural landmark in Tashkent. Planned to open in March 2028, the building reflects Ando's minimalist architectural language, integrating references to Uzbekistan's heritage with his characteristic use of geometry, natural light, and spatial clarity. Read more »
Environments of Curiosity: Translating Pedagogy into Architectural Form in Montessori, Waldorf, and Beyond
Children encounter space differently from adults. For them, the world is not yet rationalized into function and circulation but is experienced through emotion and curiosity. Where adults may navigate rooms through habit, children inhabit them through immediacy. A patch of sunlight becomes an event. The curve of a hallway invites wandering. The sound of footsteps on wood or the softness of fabric beneath fingertips is not background but information. What adults may dismiss as peripheral moments quietly mediates their sense of safety, autonomy, belonging, and possibility. Architecture is an opportunity for pedagogy to become physical.
Cheer Kindergarten / HIBINOSEKKEI + Youji no Shiro. Image © Siming Wu Children encounter space differently from adults. For them, the world is not yet rationalized into function and circulation but is experienced through emotion and curiosity. Where adults may navigate rooms through habit, children inhabit them through immediacy. A patch of sunlight becomes an event. The curve of a hallway invites wandering. The sound of footsteps on wood or the softness of fabric beneath fingertips is not background but information. What adults may dismiss as peripheral moments quietly mediates their sense of safety, autonomy, belonging, and possibility. Architecture is an opportunity for pedagogy to become physical. Read more »
Saha Casa Boutique / Ho Khue Architects
- Hospitality Architecture
- Hotels
Saha Casa Boutique is much more than a standard hotel and serviced apartment complex, located on Morrison Street, one of the major thoroughfares in the seaside city of Da Nang. In the middle of this thriving tourist city's rapid development, surrounded by upscale block hotels faced with glass, this project is a clever challenge that embodies an impromptu, very artistic architectural language. Saha Casa Boutique is a leisure facility with flowing, organic curves that draw inspiration from nature and architectural features that create wonder. It is expected to become an enticing tourist attraction and usher in a new age for area architecture.
© Trieu Chien architects: Ho Khue Architects Location: Da Nang, Vietnam Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Trieu Chien Area: 321.0 m2 Read more »
Itabashi House / ROOVICE
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
- Refurbishment
- Renovation
In the quiet streets of Itabashi, Tokyo, a modest two-storey house from 1976 has been given a new lease on life through a renovation carried out by Roovice. Through their Kariage Project, they renovate and reuse akiya (vacant houses) at no cost to the owners, transforming them into rental properties. The house had originally suffered from a fragmented layout and dim interiors that no longer suited contemporary living.
© Akira Nakamura architects: ROOVICE Location: Itabashi City, Japan Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Akira Nakamura Area: 76.0 m2 Read more »
Mother's Home / epos architecture
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
The project is located in the eastern part of Sichuan, approximately 35 kilometers from the county center. The site is nestled against a mountain with steep slopes at the back and enjoys an open view at the front, where rolling distant mountains create superior landscape resources. The current building is built in three terraces with a height difference of 1.5m. The left side is an idle area, the middle section serves as a residential zone for daily living and farming activities, and the far right is designated for livestock breeding.
© Building Horizon architects: epos architecture Location: Chengdu, China Project Year: 2023 Photographs: Building Horizon Area: 607.0 m2 Read more »
TACT.T Bridge / TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers
- Infrastructure
- Bridges
- Pedestrian bridge
Architecture that contributes to promoting a decarbonized society through the expanded use of commercially available small-diameter timber and eco-friendly concrete.
© Kazuhisa Adachi architects: TAISEI DESIGN Planners Architects & Engineers Location: 344 -1 Nase-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 245-0051, Japan Project Year: 2023 Photographs: Kazuhisa Adachi Area: 102.0 m2 Read more »
Riba House / TEC - Taller EC
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
Casa Riba is located in the valley of Puembo, in the Andes mountain range, on a corner and curved lot. Its location and orientation were fundamental to its design, highlighting the presence of a carob tree at the center of the site, which became the conceptual axis of the project and the point from which the view of the city of Quito is framed.
© Lorena Darquea Schettini architects: TEC - Taller EC Location: Puembo, Ecuador Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Lorena Darquea Schettini Area: 520.0 m2 Read more »
PAPAYA Brand Showroom / Between The Walls
- Commercial Architecture
- Retail
- Showroom
A new PAPAYA brand showroom has opened in the heart of the city, a space that continues the philosophy of Between the Walls, where the interior is viewed as a living matter that engages in dialogue with the past and the present.
© Andriy Bezuglov architects: Between The Walls Location: Obukhiv, Ukraine Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Andriy Bezuglov Area: 170.0 m2 Read more »
Casolare Biordo Vecchio / Studio Bressan
- Residential Architecture
- Houses
- Refurbishment
- Renovation
- Extension
Nestled among the hills of Asolo, Casolare Biordo Vecchio is a regeneration project of an old rural building, transformed into a contemporary residence that preserves the authenticity of its origins.
© Emanuele Bressan architects: Studio Bressan Location: Asolo, Treviso, Italy Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Emanuele Bressan Area: 180.0 m2 Read more »
From Salt Factory to Art Museum: The Story Behind the Schaudepot in Essen, Germany
Once the largest coal mine in Europe, the Zollverein complex in Essen, Germany, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past twenty-five years. What was once a landscape of abandoned industrial facilities is now a laboratory of contemporary architecture, featuring works by Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, and SANAA. Their interventions bridge the site’s industrial past with its imagined future. Spanning 100 hectares, the UNESCO World Heritage site has become a global model of adaptive reuse, redefining what it means to preserve industrial heritage. Within this context stands the Ruhr Museum and its enigmatic art repository, the Schaudepot. Located in the complex’s former salt factory, the museum impresses not only with its collection but also with its architecture, which transforms a 1960s industrial building into a vibrant cultural venue.
Photos by Jochen Tack, courtesy of Ruhr Museum Once the largest coal mine in Europe, the Zollverein complex in Essen, Germany, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past twenty-five years. What was once a landscape of abandoned industrial facilities is now a laboratory of contemporary architecture, featuring works by Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, and SANAA. Their interventions bridge the site’s industrial past with its imagined future. Spanning 100 hectares, the UNESCO World Heritage site has become a global model of adaptive reuse, redefining what it means to preserve industrial heritage. Within this context stands the Ruhr Museum and its enigmatic art repository, the Schaudepot. Located in the complex’s former salt factory, the museum impresses not only with its collection but also with its architecture, which transforms a 1960s industrial building into a vibrant cultural venue. Because of its historical and architectural relevance, the project is featured in the 2025 edition of Open House Essen, under the theme “Future Heritage.” The initiative explores which spaces might shape our future architectural legacy and asks pressing questions: What should we preserve? What should we adapt? And how can we design a future that is both livable and fair? Read more »
This blog wrapped in early 2024, though it continues as a Substack newsletter with the same name: archidose.substack.com
A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books is on Substack
I'm breaking my blogging silence to do two things: Alert readers to the fact I am still writing reviews of architecture books under the title A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books, but over at Substack, not Blogger. Put a new post at the top of this blog so I don't have to look at those photos of me every time I come here to find an old post that I want to link to. That is all.

Archidose, 1999–2024
After 25 years of running this blog under various names — all of which can be lumped under the "Archidose" monicker — I've decided to shut it down, moving this hobby, this labor of love, to Substack, which I have used since mid-2021 and where I will continue to send out weekly newsletters focused on architecture books, but in a new format. (You can subscribe to my newsletter here or on Substack.) So, this isn't "goodbye" as much as it is "see you in your inbox." Grayer and hopefully wiser: me, John Hill, from the mid-1990s until today Besides thinking something along the lines of, Wait! 25 years?, you also may be wondering, Why stop now? The now, January 2024, is because I happen to like fives, it turns out — so much so that every significant thing related to this blog has occurred in five five-year intervals (this is by chance, not by design, I swear): 1999: Started A Weekly Dose of Architecture (with a post about the Kimbell Art Museum) 2004: Started A Daily Dose of Architecture (with a post about the World Trade Center Memorial Design Competition) 2009: Started working with World-Architects and got my first book deal (I was out of work at the time, so the writing that I began doing as a hobby in 1999 turned into my primary focus as of 2009) 2014: Stopped A Weekly Dose of Architecture (complete with five bullet points on why) 2019: Started A Daily Dose of Architecture Books (five more bullet points!) 2024: Stopped Archidose In terms of the why, I've thought of that question a little bit, and outside of it just feeling like it's the right time, here are a handful (again!) of reasons: Very few people read blogs anymore (true, that was also the case 10 years ago, but I kept at it until now, as I liked doing it) More people subscribe, open, and read my Substack newsletter than those who click on the links to this blog or find their way here in some other manner to read my posts (the logical step, therefore, is to put everything in the newsletter...but not behind a paywall, mind you) Blogger is outdated, with infrequent updates; its themes/templates are buggy; adding content is frustrating (this list could go on near endlessly) Substack’s formatting is much easier and more elegant than Blogger (see next bullet point, too) This blog takes up too much of my time, time I'd rather spend on other things (the new newsletter will be easier to produce than this blog, but hopefully it will be helpful and therefore worth people's time in opening it and reading it) But stopping this blog also makes me wonder what it amounted to, if anything. Is there enough good content on this blog to put some of it on paper, to make it a more permanent thing? Or is the content simply of its time and therefore best to leave here in the digital ether? I don't know, to be honest, and when I dig back through some of the posts I veer from thinking the things I wrote were really good to thinking they were garbage ... okay, not quite garbage, but not special enough for a bound volume tucked away in a library somewhere. The truth is somewhere between these poles, I reckon, so hopefully I'll come up with a way to make sense of this side project, this 25-year undertaking, and turn what I did into something else even more rewarding.

Reading About Drawings
- mit press
Instead of digesting a new book or diving into a novel, something others do often but I do rarely, I spent my holiday break reading a five-year-old book about a trio of intertwined topics I'm particularly fond of: drawings, exhibitions, and New York City. Drawing on Architecture: The Object of Lines, 1970-1990 by Jordan Kauffman, published by The MIT Press, 2018 (Amazon / AbeBooks) As the book's subtitle indicates, Drawing Architecture covers a two-decade period — the 1970s and 80s — when architectural drawings produced by contemporary architects increased in popularity: with architects, with museums, and with the wider art market. These decades, especially the 70s, are known for its so-called "Paper Architecture," which arose due to architects encountering a glut of commissions and offsetting it through theorizing and exploring ideas on paper. Although Jordan Kauffman, a researcher at MIT when he wrote the book and now an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham, does not restrict himself to New York City, much of the book takes place there, given the city's role as the epicenter of the art market, the numerous art galleries holding exhibitions of architectural drawings, and the willingness of local architects to promote themselves through those galleries. These display spaces included Judith York Newman's Spaced: Gallery of Architecture, the Leo Castelli Gallery, and the Max Protetch Gallery. There were also a number of museums and other institutions in and beyond NYC — CCA, DAM, MoMA, Getty — that increased their holdings of architectural drawings, in turn increasing value of such drawings until around 1990. Then, as architects found themselves with more projects and computers entered the realm of architectural drawing, the two-decade trend came to an end. I missed Kauffman's book when it was released in 2018, though I have to disagree with George Baird's review published in Architectural Record at that time. He finds the thorough documentation and explanation of this important moment in recent history "not completely satisfactory," due to the inability to grasp the individual drawings in the numerous photographs of gallery shows reproduced in black and white, as in the one below. Baird did appreciate the reproductions of individual drawings that are almost as numerous as the gallery photographs, but not enough to give the book a ringing endorsement. I'd counter that, since the book is about the galleries and institutions marketing and collecting the drawings rather than the drawings themselves, the illustrations selected for the book are ideal. They capture the seminal shows that led to the phenomenon that is the subject of Kauffman's book; without them, readers would be frustrated and have to rely on the author's extensive descriptions of the displays — descriptions that are important for the historical record but stultifying for narrative flow. (Kauffman also separately lists each piece in each seminal show, complete with values ascribed to the individual drawings.) Another review, by Paul Emmons at EAHN, is more gracious toward the book, calling it "a primary resource on the history of the commodification of architectural drawing." Installation view of "Architecture I" exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery, 1977 (Image source) Being a scourer of used bookstores and having a strong interest in the period explored by Kauffman, many of the museum exhibitions and gallery shows described in the book as "seminal" were known to me before I cracked it open last month. For example, the three "Architecture" shows held at Leo Castelli Gallery every three years between 1977 and 1983 were each accompanied by catalogs: the first one is short, unpaginated and stapled, but the second and third were published by Rizzoli, the publisher of choice for American postmodern architecture in the 1980s. Even though I'm familiar with these shows — and others, including Arthur Drexler's The Architecture of the École des Beaux-Arts (MoMA, 1975) and The Drawings of Antonio Gaudi by George R. Collins (The Drawing Center, 1977) — through their printed companions, Kauffman is able to elucidate considerably more information about the exhibitions themselves as well as how they relate to the publications. Architecture I, the catalog, would lead us now to assume that just a few drawings were in Architecture I, the exhibition, for each of the seven included architects (Raimund Abraham, Emilio Ambasz, Richard Meier, Walter Pichler, Aldo Rossi, James Stirling, Venturi and Rauch), but Kauffman reveals how misleading this assumption is, by describing the circumstances of the show, illustrating it through gallery shots like the one above, and exhaustively documenting what was on display. In this sense, Emmons' description of the book as "a primary resource" is spot-on. Covers of catalogs for three "Architecture" series exhibitions — "Architecture I," "Houses for Sale," "Follies" — held at Leo Castelli Gallery in 1977, 1980, and 1983, respectively While I found it rewarding to learn more about these and other exhibitions I had previous awareness of, Drawing on Architecture was not short on revealing new information to me. Take, for instance, Spaced, the gallery run by Judith York Newman, a name considerably less familiar all these years later than Castelli, Protetch, and the like. The first iteration of Spaced was located on the Upper West Side between 1975 and 1983, making it the first gallery in the city to display architectural drawings and therefore leading the way toward other art galleries doing the same. Although Newman was integral to the reception of architectural drawings in the period, as were Martha Beck, Barbara Jakobsen (aka B.J. Archer), and Pierre Apraxine, their names border on the forgotten, at least relative to the more famous gallerists mentioned above as well as Phyllis Lambert (CCA), Heinrich Klotz (DAM), and Kristin Feireiss (Aedes) outside of NYC. Drawing on Architecture therefore serves, in its focus, to give them much-deserved attention. The shift of architectural drawings toward art and as architecture in and of themselves can also be found in Drawing Ambience: Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association, the exhibition and companion publication from 2015 about the drawings collected by Boyarsky when he was head of the AA in London. Although Boyarsky's two-decade directorship overlapped almost exactly with Kauffman's book, he is only touched on briefly. Instead, we learn a good deal about fellow Londoner Ben Weinreb, "the most eminent antiquarian bookseller of architectural books, prints, and drawings," per Kauffman. Not only did he buy and sell drawings (many of them to Lambert at the CCA), making him relevant to Drawing on Architecture, he produced 58 catalogs over the course of four decades: catalogs that "set new standards for cataloging and connoisseurship," in Kauffman's words. The value of Drawing on Architecture is in discovering about Weinreb and other lesser-known players, carried out through exhaustive research and scholarship, but it is also found in the vivid portrait of 1970s/80s New York, when the architecture and art scenes overlapped and converged, unlike any times before then or since.

Favorite Books of 2023
- book-favorites
For the fifteenth and last time on this blog, I'm highlighting my favorite books of the year, selected from the many books I reviewed or featured as "Book Briefs" on this blog, and the few titles that I reviewed at World-Architects. From the 86 books I featured in 2023, 15 (or 16) books made my list of favorites, organized into three categories: history, monographs, and exhibitions (the books are alphabetical by title within each category). As in previous years, not all of these books were published this year, given how slow I can be at digesting books and my departure from the annual spring/fall cycle of publishers. This last aspect, the timing of the books I draw attention to, will change next year, as I shutter this blog and transition it into something else — details on that will be announced next month. Until then, warm holiday wishes! 6 HISTORY BOOKS: Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City (2023) by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press — Thomas Leslie's followup to his 1871-1934 history of Chicago skyscrapers is even better than its predecessor, not only because the buildings covered are by Mies and other modern architects, but because the research is meticulous and the stories are really interesting. The Japanese House Since 1945 (2023) by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson — The latest by Naomi Pollock, who has written numerous books on Japanese houses, benefits from a wide-ranging chronological presentation of nearly one hundred such houses but also the input of the architects and, most valuably, the people who lived in them. Lost in America: Photographing the Last Days of our Architectural Treasures (2023) by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press — In the right hands, archives can yield insights, themes, and presentations that are educational and unexpected, as in photo historians Richard Cahan and Michael Williams digging through the 90-year-old HABS archive at the Library of Congress to show Americans the wonders they have lost over that time. Mies van der Rohe: The Collective Housing Collection (2022) by Fernando Casqueiro, published by a+t architecture publishers — As I pointed out in my review at World-Architects, this book has some flaws in its graphics and text, but they don't detract from the comprehensive presentation of the apartment buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe in the middle of last century. Resisting Postmodern Architecture: Critical Regionalism before Globalisation (2022) by Stylianos Giamarelos, published by UCL Press — Architects who appreciate Kenneth Frampton's theorizing of critical regionalism starting in the 1980s should read Stylianos Giamarelos's scholarly book that explores and recenters the formulation of critical regionalism by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre ahead of Frampton. Urban Design in the 20th Century: A History (2021) by Tom Avermaete and Janina Gosseye, published by gta Verlag — This carefully organized, beautifully presented, abundantly illustrated, and thoroughly cited history of urban design in the 20th century came out of a course taught by the authors at ETH Zurich, but it really should be a standard textbook for other schools, too. 5 (OR 6) MONOGRAPHS: A Book on Making a Petite École (2023) edited by Michael Meredith, Hilary Sample and MOS, published by Actar Publishers — There are very few practicing architects who produce books as an extension of their practice, and even fewer who do that extremely well. MOS is one of them and this is their latest. (Curiously, I saw an even larger, atlas-sized version of this book on display at Harvard GSD's Frances Loeb Library as part of The Book in the Age of ... exhibition in September.) Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 1 1990–2005 (2022) and Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 2 2000–2012 (2023), published by MACK — Released a year apart (will volume three follow a year from now?) but reviewed on my blog in February and December of this year, this monograph series on Caruso St John is stunning: beautifully made but also expressive of the words and images that inspire Adam Caruso and Peter St John in their quiet, poetic creations. Living in Monnikenheide: Care, Inclusion and Architecture (2023) edited by Gideon Boie, published by Flanders Architecture Institute — This book is about Monnikenheide, a residential care center for people with mental disabilities in Zoersel, Belgium, and the numerous buildings that have been designed there since the early 1970s. The book is beautifully produced and reflective of the place's myriad qualities. M³: modeled works [archive] 1972-2022 (2023) by Thom Mayne and Morphosis, published by Rizzoli — Fifty years of Thom Mayne and Morphosis are presented in more than 1,000 pages: a brick of a book centered on the models that the studio is known for, from the early models in wood and resin to the 3D-printed models they still produce. Speculative Coolness: Architecture, Media, the Real, and the Virtual (2023) by Bryan Cantley, edited by Peter J. Baldwin, published by Routledge — Architects my age will have flashbacks to Neil Denari, Peter Pfau, Wes Jones, and other machine-minded architects from the nineties when perusing Bryan Cantley's image-saturated monograph. The name says it all: page after page of speculative coolness, vague projects impeccably delineated. 4 BOOKS FROM EXHIBITIONS: Another Breach in the Wall: The City as a Common Good (2022) by Davide Tommaso Ferrando and Daniel Tudor Munteanu, published by Solitude Project — This two-volume book serves as the catalog to Another Breach in the Wall, the main exhibition of the Beta 2022 Timișoara Architecture Biennial in Romania, which focused on projects and actions in cities that subvert the norm. The book does that to some degree, too, with a foldout map serving as a wrapper for the two paperbacks and an elastic band holding the whole together. An Atlas of Es Devlin (2023) by Es Devlin, edited by Andrea Lipps, published by Thames & Hudson — It's hard to believe it, but the first monographic exhibition and monographic book on Es Devlin, the artist/designer behind sets for Adele, Beyoncé, and Cyrus (comma Miley) arrived this year, nearly thirty years after she launched her career in London. This big, expensive book is more artist book that exhibition catalog, and a highly revealing look at her creative process. Bernd & Hilla Becher (2022) by Jeff L. Rosenheim, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art — A "captivating tribute to the renowned German photographic duo known for their systematic documentation of industrial architecture," according to ChatGPT, but in my words it is simply a "beautifully produced catalog" of the 2022 exhibition at The Met. For a duo who treated books as an integral extension of their photography, this catalog of their work is equally valuable. Yasmeen Lari: Architecture for the Future (2023) edited by Angelika Fitz, Elke Krasny, Marvi Mazhar and Architekturzentrum Wien, published by MIT Press — In early March, an exhibition on architect Yasmeen Lari, usually described as Pakistan's first woman architect, opened at Az W, and the following month the Oxford-trained architect won the Royal Gold Medal, RIBA's highest honor. Needless to say, the major exhibition and honor were justified for an architect who pivoted from commercial buildings for companies with money to houses and other zero-carbon buildings for the poor. The book is thorough, with essays and interviews accompany the numerous projects.

Three Monographs
- mack
- oscar riera ojeda
- thames hudson
Just as last week's Places in Time III post featured a trio of books that were initially listed in my earlier holiday gift books post, two of the three monographs featured here were also on that list. As happened when I wrote this post, each book begins with a rhetorical question pertaining to monographs. This post features the last reviews of the year. A week from today I'll have a year-capping roundup of my favorites from the many books featured on this blog in 2023. An Atlas of Es Devlin by Es Devlin, edited by Andrea Lipps, published by Thames & Hudson, December 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Is it possible to love a monograph on a designer whose work you're largely indifferent to? Es Devlin is a phenomenally famous artist and designer who is best known for creating the sets and backdrops for U2, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, and other big-name musicians, and for such events as the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show. Her London studio's designs for these and other performances, such as plays on London's West End, are provocative and attention-getting, befitting their spectacle nature ... but they're just not my thing, they don't strike my fancy. Her immersive installations, on the other hand, though I've yet to experience one, resonate more strongly with me; these include Forest of Us in Miami and Memory Palace from 2019. And while I like the design and the labyrinthine layout of the monographic exhibition now at the Cooper Hewitt that is also called An Atlas of Es Devlin, the appeal of her work to me is just fractional: yes on installations, no on the rest. But reviewing a book or exhibition or some other creation is not about taste and personal preference; it's about judging the thing on its own merits and determining how good or bad it is relative to similar creations. For books, monographs are a genre in and of themselves, and some are better than others; some are notable for being hybrids. Though big, expensive, and with a print run in (I imagine) the tens of thousands, An Atlas of Es Devlin — the first Es Devlin monograph — is as much an artists' book as it is a monograph and exhibition catalog. The spreads displayed here give a taste of the way Devlin, editor Andrea Lipps, who also curated the Cooper Hewitt exhibition, and book designer Daniel Devlin veered from the typical construction of a book — they cut circles in the pages, inserted smaller page sizes and even smaller gatefolds into the binding, used a variety of papers, etc. — to give it an artists-book feel, but on a considerably larger scale: the book is more than 900 pages, though given the atypical nature of the book it's nearly impossible to count the exact number. It is so big it comes in a specially made orange cardboard box for storage and protection. Just as the exhibition features an "iris" formed by overlapping and shifted circles cut into the gallery wall, the hardcover book opens with ten pages with circular cutouts that frame a photo of Devlin on the floor of Memory Palace. The circular openings are rung with statements apparently in Devlin's hand, and radiating from the circles are complex, layered timelines of her studio's prolific output — the last a sign of how in-demand an artist and designer she is. But, befitting an artists' book, these pages go even further, adding raised dots and lines that accentuate parts of the timeline, veer from it entirely, and/or push us to find some meaning amongst the information saturation. The book then shows some full-bleed photographs of her studio's output before launching into the process-based presentations that comprise the largest chunk of the book. The presentation is chronological, moving from "A Student's Sketchbook" (spread above) that spans from 1985 to 1995 to the designs for plays, performances, and installations she is known for, one after the other for at least 250 pages. After those come conversations Devlin had with fellow creatives during COVID lockdown, then more projects, then another 250 or so pages of completed projects in color photos. The book is packed, fully. The parts that make me appreciate the book so much are the process-oriented project presentations. Very few projects are presented simply; most are accompanied by a smaller inserted page and/or a gatefold — something that requires readers to do extra "work" that heightens their awareness and increases their absorption of Devlin's creative process. Each project, furthermore, is keyed to one of the color photographs in the last half of the book, requiring more flipping-back-and-forth "work" and providing a peek at the finished products. Put another way, it's impossible to nonchalantly flip through this book. The design and construction of the book force a slow movement and entice a steady gaze. One gains so much in handling the book that they need not read every description of every project to understand a lot about Devlin as an artist and designer. I can't think of a more ambitious goal for a monograph than the way An Atlas of Es Devlin gives readers such an intimate understanding of her creative thinking. Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 2 2000–2012 by Caruso St John, published by MACK, October 2023 (Amazon) Is it better for a monograph to have project descriptions written by the architect or by an external writer? The first type ideally give readers some insight into the architect's creative process, though at times these descriptions can read as promotional materials aimed at potential clients. Descriptions of the second type benefit from some objectivity and most likely a critical position, but they might suffer from a lack of information and the sense, on the reader's part, of not learning enough about the illustrated projects. Most monographs fit into one or the other, including the two other monographs in this post: Es Devlin's monograph features project descriptions in her words, while the latest monograph on Jones Studio was written by curator Marilu Knode. Like the first volume of Caruso St John Collected Works, put out last year by MACK but reviewed on this blog in early 2023, Volume 2 has a mix of project descriptions written by the architects and coming from magazines and other external sources, the latter often years earlier and outside of the context of the book. If we look at the "Chicago and Milan" chapter, one of seven chapters in Volume 2, two projects are presented: Nottingham Contemporary, the UK gallery completed in 2009; and the Europaallee Mixed-use Building built in Zurich in 2013. The words of the architects, Adam Caruso and Peter St John, are used for Nottingham Contemporary, in which we learn about the intentions behind their winning competition scheme and the inspirations for the lacy pattern on the facade's concave panels. The longer, more in-depth presentation of Europaallee is accompanied by an article by Ellis Woodman from a 2014 issue of Architectural Review. The architects' mixed-use building is part of the Europaallee development west of Zurich Hauptbahnhof, which was master planned by KCAP and is made up of low- and mid-rise buildings organized about a pedestrian street; Caruso St John's building is at an important spot at the western end of the street, adjacent to a square and near a new pedestrian bridge that connects this main part of Europaallee to a sliver of the development on the north side of the railway tracks. I've seen their building on trips to Zurich, though I can't say I paid much attention to it, as the whole Europaallee project — with buildings by Gigon/Guyer, Max Dudler, David Chipperfield, and others — is characterized by unrelenting grids of windows. It's a bit like Tativille come to life. The Caruso St John building is in line with the rest, though Woodman admits that the narrowing of the piers between windows as the building rises — an element in the competition scheme that would distance the building from the earlier "joyless" building by Dudler — "came to present a significantly less austere image than was suggested by the initial renderings." Although Woodman is primarily positive in his assessment of Caruso St John's Europaallee Mixed-use Building, it makes me think that very few architects would actually incorporate critical texts like this in their monographs. That Caruso St John did so here is following from the format of Volume 1, in which texts by critics about the architects' projects are included, as are texts by others — architects, critics, historians, etc. — as long as they pertain to the issues explored by the architects in some way or serve as some theoretical foundation for their work. So Louis Sullivan's "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered" first published in Lipincott's Magazine in 1896, is also found in the "Chicago and Milan" chapter, as is "The Existing Environment and Themes in Contemporary Practice," an essay by Ernesto N. Rogers from a 1954 issue of Casabella; these two essays give the chapter, which otherwise just features the two projects in Nottingham and Zurich, its name. Although the essays are presented without comment, the relationship between them and Caruso St John's work can be grasped without difficulty, as Sullivan's essays coming a few pages before the "tall" 13-story building at Europaallee attests. Even without an awareness to such ties, I greatly appreciate the inclusion of inspirational and important texts; it is one element that sets this series of monographs apart from others. In addition to the projects spanning from 2000 to 2012 and the inclusion of articles and essays written by others outside of the context of the monograph, the book also features texts by Adam Caruso and Peter St John. Befitting the series, these texts come from other publications, from lectures and interviews, most of them within the years covered by the volume. An example is Peter St John's "Aldo Rossi's Gallaratese Housing," first published in Building Design in 2012. The architect first experienced Rossi's famous building in 1980, when he was a 20-year-old student on a scholarship, also seeing the buildings of Terragni and catching the The Presence of the Past, the inaugural Venice Architecture Biennale. He recounts his first impressions of the building, discusses it relative to Rossi's famous texts The Architecture of the City and A Scientific Autobiography, and revisits the building to find it "more charming than before." A few pages later we read Caruso and St John's text on Pasticcio, a composition of fragments of classical architecture in Sir John Soane's Museum in London, and see their installation of the same name at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale. That is followed by restoration work at Soane's Museum, a new chancel for St Gallen Cathedral in Switzerland ... the whole book unfolds in this manner: one unexpected piece after another, adding up to a thorough and varied portrait of the duo's quiet and occasionally timeless architecture. STRIVE: Jones Studio Adventures in Architecture by Marilu Knode, edited by Oscar Riera Ojeda, published by Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Should monograph present many projects in just a few pages, or very few projects across more pages? Two years ago, Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers put out Jones Studio Houses: Sensual Modernism, a monograph billed as "a self-imposed limited look at the 40-year-plus career of Eddie Jones." The thick, square book limited itself to houses (minus Jones Studio's own "house") and featured just ten of them, highlighted by Prairie Raptor, a stunning house in Oklahoma whose sculptural peak was inspired by Herb Greene's "Prairie Chicken" built in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1954. Digesting the book with its many photographs and drawings accompanied by short blurbs by famous names lauding Jones's architecture, it was clear the book was an incomplete portrait of the studio run by Eddie and his brother and first partner Neal Jones — a first course, if you will, to a larger, more well-rounded presentation of their work. With more than 40 built and unbuilt projects spanning more than 40 years, STRIVE is that main course. If a food analogy for an architecture monograph feels a bit contrived, note that three of the book's five sections take on "Family Table" titles. Instead of a literal family coming to the table to eat, the "family" is made up of Jones and the other architects in the studio, and the "table" is a collaborative work surface about which everyone's desks are arrayed. "Family Table #1," as it's called in the book, was in an office building in downtown Phoenix designed by Alfred Newman Beadle in 1978. In 1984, Eddie moved the studio he had established in 1979 (Neal joined in 1986) from his house to the Beadle-designed building, and years later he expanded within it to create the open-plan family-table office space. (Some further synergy between Beadle and Jones can be found in the fact both of them relocated from the Midwest to Arizona: Beadle from Minnesota, Jones from Oklahoma.) Jones Studio stayed in the Beadle building for 32 years, moving into the purpose-built "Home and Studio" in Tempe that begins the book's "Family Studio #3" chapter. The floor plans in STRIVE show how the literal table in the Beadle building is also at the heart of the now seven-year-old Jones Studio Office; the table and branching desks are described in the book as the "nerve center" of the studio and an "open mosh pit of ideas." So, you might be asking, what about "Family Table #2"? This is the most interesting of the trio, at least in the context of the book, and in two ways. First, for the exhibition southwestNET: Jones Studio, Inc. that took place at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006, the studio moved its operations into the gallery for its three-month duration, from May to September. Indeed, the studio — the family — literally became the exhibit, sitting at custom-designed desks that converged to form "Family Table #2." Photos in the book show a somewhat typical architecture office, with computers, phones, and lots of papers in the middle of a gallery with drawings on the wall, drawings suspended from the ceiling, and museum goers taking in the scene. The second thing of interest is that the exhibition was curated by Marilu Knode, who considers it "one of the most exciting of my career." She was later approached by Jones Studio to tell the story of the firm in what would become STRIVE. Her writing and consistent voice detached from the making of the projects help make this monograph so good, especially compared to the many monographs that are written in-house and read like marketing copy and therefore lack firsthand insight. People who actually read Knode's words that accompany the buildings will learn A LOT about the studio's process and what makes each project so interesting, beyond the obvious skill with which they've been designed. Having looked at numerous architectural monographs, I've come to the conclusion that the project that occupies the middle section of a monograph is often the most important — both for the architect and for the book itself. The five chapters of STRIVE start with "Jones Studio: The Early Years" and end with "Focused Future," chronological bookends for the three "Family Table" chapters. Given this structure, the second of those, "Family Table #2," sits in the middle of the book's nearly 500 pages. While the firm was working at the southwestNET exhibition, they submitted an RFQ for the Mariposa Land Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. In 2007, Jones Studio got the job, which became a "colossal, firm-altering undertaking." While Knode's words partly reinforce my hypothesis for middle-project importance, the project's documentation in photos, drawings, and numerous texts over more than 40 pages cement it. The building, completed in 2014, is also found on the cover — another sign of the project's importance in the impressive Jones Studio portfolio.

Places in Time III
- cityfiles
- scheidegger spiess
- university of illinois press
This third and most likely last installment in the inadvertent "Places in Time" series looks closely at three books: the first about Chicago from the Great Depression to the mid-1980s; the second one about the broader American built landscape over roughly the same period of time; and the third jumping to Switzerland and tracing the urban development of Schlieren, near Zurich, over a 15-year period this century. All three of the books were in my roundup of holiday gift books a couple of weeks ago. The first two Places in Time posts looked at Detroit/Chicago/St. Louis and Paris/Indonesia/Flanders. Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In my holiday gift books roundup a couple of weeks ago, I wrote that, of the four pieces in the subtitle to Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986 — "technology, politics, finance, and race" — technology is the most prevalent throughout the book. That assertion was based on just a cursory look through the book, all I could manage at the time, but also on its relationship to architect and educator Thomas Leslie's previous book, Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871-1934, published ten years prior. If I were doing that roundup now, having had more time to delve into the new book, I would write that politics and finance were, if not the most prevalent, the most illuminating and thoroughly discussed aspects in the book's presentation of skyscrapers over fifty years last century. Indeed, many of the drawings and photographs focus on the technical and technological aspects of skyscraper design and construction (just look at the cover!), but the stories of how certain skyscrapers came about and were shaped are rooted in Chicago's political machine, money, and the developers that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, SOM, and others worked for. An example is in order. If any architect jumps to mind in the period covered by the book, it is Mies, who reshaped Chicago through his glass-and-steel towers but also who, through the replicable nature of their designs, reshaped cities around the world. To this day, his most notable tall buildings in Chicago are 860-800 Lake Shore Drive, the Federal Center, and the IBM Building, all boasting steel structures and glass curtain walls. But before that trio of towers (860-880 came first, in 1952) there was Promontory Apartments, completed in 1949 near the University of Chicago. Structured in concrete, not steel, and with windows sitting on brick spandrel walls rather than on the floor slabs or hung as curtain walls, Promontory is often seen as an anomaly or an awkward step toward the more refined glass boxes that would follow. But, Leslie tells us, concrete was "selected over steel because of postwar supply problems" and the brick spandrel wall was mandated by code as a means of stopping the spread of fire. Furthermore, even with the windows sitting on knee-height walls, lenders balked at their size, wondering "how people can live with so much glass" and making it hard for the developer to gain financing. One year later, in 1950, "Chicago's progressive building code eliminated the masonry spandrel wall requirement," leading to 860-880 LSD and other glass-sheathed towers designed by Mies and others. The book's nine chronological/thematic chapters are full of similar political and financial information that greatly helps put the many notable skyscrapers (as well as quite a few apparently insignificant ones) into context. For example, chapter five, "Daley's City: Commercial Construction, 1955-1972," tackles the most powerful political player the city saw in the half-century covered by the book, Mayor Richard J. Daley. In a flip from his predecessors, "'Daley's City' sprung from investment capital," Leslie writes, "wedded to a regime intent on gaining and exercising raw power to tip the market's balance wherever it could." Early on, Daley oversaw the creation of the Central Area Plan (1958), discussed at some length in the book, and during his lengthy tenure he saw the erection of many commercial and residential towers in the Loop. But the Daley era is also when the Chicago Housing Authority shifted to high-rises and built them as segregated enclaves primarily on the South and West Sides, just about all of which have been torn down in recent years for low-rise developments. As such, the race aspect of the book makes up a good chunk of chapter six, "High-Rise Housing in the 1960s," though the subject is present throughout the book, just not to the same degree as the other three subtitled terms. Oddly, Leslie's book ends with a lengthy discussion of Helmut Jahn's State of Illinois Center, the 17-story building in the Loop that opened in 1985 and was renamed in 1993 as the James R. Thompson Center, for the governor who championed the project and oversaw its realization. I say "oddly" because the squat, rotund building is hardly a skyscraper, at least not in my mind. It is shorter than most buildings around it as well as others being built at the same time, such as Jahn's own 40-story One South Wacker, and does not have the vertically of most towers. So why include it? I think, in part, because it was the climax of postmodern architecture in Chicago in the 1980s, but mainly because it is a case study where technology, politics, and finance converge to the utmost degree; it's a fascinating story deeply and ably recounted by Leslie. It comes at the end of the last chapter, "After Sears," and spreads across four three-column, image-free pages; only on the last spread do we see the building, but only its exterior, not the stunning atrium it is known for. While this ending leaves something to be desired in terms of page design and illustrations, it captures the incredible amount of research Leslie managed to put into this second installment in his skyscraper history of Chicago. I'm hoping there is a next one and that it is already in the works, so it doesn't take ten more years for the rest of us to hold it in our hands. Lost in America: Photographing the Last Days of our Architectural Treasures by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) As an architect who writes primarily about contemporary architecture but who is increasingly cognizant of the importance in saving and reusing old buildings, even going so far as to preferring adaptive reuse over new construction, I have a love/hate view of "Lost ___" books. The ones in my library tend to be about places where I've lived: Lost Chicago by David Garrard Lowe, for instance, and Lost New York by Nathan Silver. Looking at page after page of black-and-white photos of buildings that will never be again is to be transported in time, which I like, but all to often the captions border on the finger-wagging: "How could you tear down this glorious building?" they seem to be telling me, even though I played no part in their destruction. Yet, as Thomas Leslie's skyscraper book featured above reveals, even buildings loved by later generations were often not appreciated in their day. Leslie writes that Henry Ives Cobb's 1905 Federal Building "suffered from grave planning and environmental deficiencies that led to calls for its replacement almost immediately after opening." Lowe, who put the domed interior on the cover of the 2000 edition of his book, calls it "an awesome feat of engineering" with "one of America's supreme interiors." "This magnificent edifice, the most notable example of civic architecture in Chicago," he summarizes, "was wantonly demolished in 1965–66," making way for the three-building Federal Center designed by Mies van der Rohe. While Leslie helps us understand something of why the building was demolished, Lowe looks at it through rose-colored glasses, making its destruction a scar on modern-day humanity. Photo historians Richard Cahan and Michael Williams are a bit more balanced in their description of Cobb's Federal Building, one of the one hundred buildings and bridges they gather from the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) for Lost in America. They give some background on how Cobbs designed the 1905 building in the Beaux-Arts style "that was all the rage in Chicago and across the nation following the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition," where Cobbs had designed seven of its buildings. And the authors paint the picture in the 1960s, when the "once-majestic courthouse and post office had become lost in the canyons of skyscrapers" and was "covered by decades of city grime." They don't make demolition excusable, but their matter-of-fact description — of this building and the 99 other places in the book — tell interesting facts and appealing stories that do an excellent job in helping readers understand the photographs and the value of HABS. In this case, the photograph is, like the Lost Chicago cover, of the domed interior, taken in 1964 by Harold Allen, who "climbed high to the base of the dome to take this shot." Although Lost in America is limited to one photograph per structure, the descriptions invite readers to dig further into the HABS archive at the Library of Congress, where many of the photographs dating from 1933 to the present are digitized. In 1965, the dome atop the Federal Building was seen better than ever, we read, when neighboring structures were razed and opened up views unavailable before; Allen captured one such view, when one of Mies's glass boxes was already in place behind it. HABS was created in 1933 during the Great Depression and is considered the nation's first federal preservation program. In the ninety years since, the program has documented thousands of structures in the United States through photographs — all b/w large-format film photos, even to this day, it should be noted — drawings, and other materials, all of them archived in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress alongside the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collections, which were created in 1969 and 2000, respectively. Why, you might be thinking, was Henry Ives Cobbs's Federal Building, which was completed in 1905, not documented until 1964? From the beginning, when Charles A. Patterson, an architect at the National Park Service, drafted a proposal for what would become HABS, the intent was to document antique buildings that were "diminish[ing] daily at an alarming rate." So photographing, measuring, drawing, and documenting them otherwise often took place when a building was threatened or demolition was imminent. The cover of Lost in America shows one instance where the act of demolition was actually captured by the photographer: Jack E. Boucher at the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage in Long Branch, New Jersey, in 1963. Cahan and Williams selected the structures and compiled them in a way that the book climaxes, for lack of a better word, with buildings like Grant's cottage, which are partially demolished — photographed just a bit too late. It's a sobering end to a sobering but excellent book that shows how the unfortunate flip side of American progress is erasure and forgetting. Urban Change Over Time: The Photographic Observation of Schlieren 2005–2020 Reveals How Switzerland Is Changing edited by Meret Wandeler, Ulrich Görlich and Caspar Schärer, published by Scheidegger and Spiess, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Although I've been to Zurich many times since I started working with World-Architects more than a dozen years ago, I've yet to visit Schlieren, the municipality on the western edge of Zurich. It's certainly an oversight, given that the town, which sunk into a post-industrial malaise from the 1980s onwards, "suddenly" turned the tide this century and "grew dramatically, attracting new residents and architectural tourists." This according to Caspar Schärer, one of the editors of the two-volume Urban Change Over Time, who drives the point home in the next sentence: "Architectural tourists!" How bad was the situation in Schlieren before the fifteen-year turning of the tide the book encapsulates? One newspaper, in a report from Schlieren, was titled "Life in the Cantonal Trash Can" (Schlieren is part of the Canton of Zurich), per another text in the book. So, how did things change, how did Schlieren get through this "difficult phase"? Proximity to Zurich and the town's location along a train line connected to the city surely helped, but much of it can be attributed to planning. In 2005, the town implemented the Schlieren Urban Development Concept (STEK I), which would determine where and how growth would occur, instead of letting it happen "uncontrolled and uncoordinated." STEK I became the basis for a photo project by Meret Wandeler and Ulrich Görlich, who decided on a 15-year timeframe — not shorter — as necessary for being able to see how the urban plan would physically take shape and impact the town. By 2020, when the project was done, the town had already moved on to STEK II, a new plan based on a reevaluation of STEK I in 2015/16, but the photographs nevertheless revealed that change in many parts of the Schlieren was dramatic. The first of the two volumes, which are packaged in a sleeve bearing the cover shown above, is a 152-page landscape-format book with spreads devoted to the 69 locations in town that were documented in photographs over the fifteen years, typically every two, odd-numbered years (some gaps are found in some places). The consistency of the photographic framing is exceptional, owing in part to the hiring of professional photographers after the initial photos were taken by the authors. The locations are keyed to maps in the back of the book, one for 2005 and one for 2020; seen together, the photographs and map illustrate the districts where STEK I was focused, where change was most pronounced. The town is basically bisected by the east-west rail line that connects it to Zurich; the most apparent change and increased density is visible to the north, while areas close to the train tracks on the south side were also filled in. Given the broad swath of the town documented by the project, it's interesting to see places where change is not immediately evident, akin to a real-life version of those find-the-differences cartoons. The second volume consists of essays, additional presentations of some of the photographs (focusing on typologies, on STEK I districts, the town's "building boom," etc.), and in-depth maps that help to give outsiders some orientation while also focusing on the development areas. These many pieces are presented beautifully across 480 pages in portrait format. The wide-ranging essays, which discuss the town, the project, "rephotography," and myriad other subjects, are particularly helpful but also, in the commendation of the book by the jury of the 2023 DAM Architectural Book Award, "very careful not to waste the reader’s time." The repackaging of some of the photographs from volume one is in some ways more helpful in understanding the town's urban change, since the authors use the photographs in ways that turns them into essays in their own right. The "Typologies" section, for example, groups photos of building entrances, parking lots, playgrounds, alleys, stores and restaurants, and garages, while "A New Town," which concludes the book, hones in on the places that would draw architectural tourists. Many of the photos in volume two are considerably larger on the page than the static format of volume one, accentuating one interesting quality of the photographs: they are devoid of people and other living beings, though not of signs of life. This rigorous approach, no doubt an impressive technical achievement, gives the project a strong anthropological quality and reveals that, while planning may be at the heart of the town's evolution this century, the shaping of the lives of the residents via planning was paramount.

Ten Pairs of Books for Christmas
- holiday gift books
This year's roundup of books to give to discerning architects for the holidays is presented in pairs. While at least one book in each pair is new, the other one isn't necessarily so — new, old, or not-so-old, it is related to the first in some manner, as explained in my descriptions. A few of these books will receive longer reviews next month. In the meantime, with this lengthy post and Thanksgiving coming up later this week, I'll be taking next week off, resuming regular posts the first week of December. HEADY STUFF FOR BRAINY ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE HISTORIANS: Architecture after God: Babel Resurgent by Kyle Dugdale, published by Birkhäuser, February 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Inhabited Machines: Genealogy of an Architectural Concept by Moritz Gleich, published by Birkhäuser, February 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Exploring Architecture is a new series of books from Birkhäuser that are focused "on thematic subjects [in architectural history and theory] that are relevant to contemporary architectural and urban discourse and practice." It aims to include "new and unexpected readings of built work, the analysis of the discipline's discourse and historiography, the study of architectural representation and media, and the consideration of socioeconomic and cultural-political forces on urban transformation." The peer-reviewed series, created under a six-strong advisory board chaired by Reto Geiser, launched in early 2023 with two books: Moritz Gleich's Inhabited Machines followed by Kyle Dugdale's Architecture after God. The pair of books indicate a serious tone for the series but also production values that are on par with monographs, found in the quality paper selection, quality image reproductions, page size that is slightly larger than the norm, and solid cover and binding. Having reviewed a few books made by Geiser, I'm not surprised at this attempt to elevate the design production of history/theory books. Still, these are not books the average architect will plop down in an armchair and read; their audience is small and focused on academia. (Hey, architectural historians like gift books, too!) Dugdale, a Yale professor based in New York City, has written a book set in Germany between the two world wars, using the Tower of Babel and the artistic output of Uriel Birnbaum from Austria as threads to explore how architects recreated a world where God is absent. Moritz Gleich, director of gta Verlag at ETH Zurich, appears to have turned his dissertation "on the genealogy of machinic concepts in architecture" into Inhabited Machines, which looks at technologies and architectural typologies in the 18th and 19th centuries as progenitors for some pretty famous machine analogies in 20th century architecture. TWO COOPER HEWITT TOMES: An Atlas of Es Devlin Es Devlin, edited by Andrea Lipps, published by Thames & Hudson, December 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Making Design: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collections by Cara McCarty and Matilda McQuaid, published by The Cooper Hewitt, February 2015 (Amazon / Bookshop) An Atlas of Es Devlin, the first monographic show devoted to UK artist and designer Es Devlin, opened at the Cooper Hewitt on November 18, 2023. Devlin worked with Cooper Hewitt curator Andrea Lipps on the exhibition, one that immerses museum goers in a recreation of Devlin's studio and moves them through a mirrored labyrinth presenting early drawings, models of the large-scale set designs she is known for, and much in between. Lipps is also the editor of the hefty book that is united with the exhibition in terms of its contents but also its execution: it immerses readers in Devlin's process to better understand her output. The exhibition presupposes that visitors do not know anything about Devlin (I'm guessing very few will not), and the book takes a similar approach, revealing insights to readers who are invited to patiently page through the book. At around 900 pages, there's a lot to see, from school-age drawings and glances of her studio to maquettes of theatrical set designs and photographs of concerts by the likes of Adele and U2. Thankfully, with its mix of paper sizes and types, and the insertion of small gatefolds that further explain her design process, the book's format makes a voyage through it anything but boring; there are surprises at every turn of the page. Boasting as many pages as An Atlas of Es Devlin is Copper Hewitt's guide to its own collection, made with designer Irma Boom when the institution completed a major overhaul of its Upper East Side home (the former Andrew Carnegie mansion) in late 2014/early 2015. While the book is big, the numbers on the cover indicate how small it is compared to the collection: it presents just 1,145 of the museum's 210,000 objects in its archive. The objects were selected by the curators, who also penned texts for the book — all expressing the museum's primary goal: "to inspire people to see how design impacts their lives." Boom, ever the innovative book designer, created different colored wraps for the paperback; it's not clear which color one gets on Amazon and Bookshop (red?), but the Cooper Hewitt offers pink and "glow in the dark" (light green) on its website. THE NEW YORK WILLIAM B. HELMREICH KNEW SO WELL: The Bronx Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide by William B. Helmreich, published by Princeton University Press, August 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The New York Nobody Knows: Walking 6,000 Miles in the City by William B. Helmreich, published by Princeton University Press, October 2013 (Amazon / Bookshop) A few years after Princeton University Press published William B. Helmreich's well-received The New York Nobody Knows, it started putting out standalone "urban walking guides" to each of the five boroughs. Helmreich, a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the City College of New York, famously walked every street in New York City, speaking with just about everybody he came across (or so it seems), be it a building super, a doorman, a shop clerk, someone leaving their apartment, someone leaving a synagogue, ... The New York Nobody Knows discusses immigration, gentrification, and other issues in thematic chapters; it is thorough, but it must have been evident for both author and publisher that the effort of walking the five boroughs and the results of talking with so many people would lead to more than just one book. The first guide published was Brooklyn, in 2016, followed by Manhattan, in 2018. Sadly, a few months before the Queens guide was released in 2020, Helmreich died, succumbing to COVID-19 in March of that year, the same month fellow CCNY professor Michael Sorkin also died. At that time, as recounted by his wife Helaine, William had already finished the manuscript for the Bronx and the couple was starting to work on Staten Island, walking (again!) the streets of that borough. It's too bad we won't see Staten Island, because it, like the Bronx, is not as widely known (for me, at least, and I'm guessing quite a few other people) as Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. But as the earlier guides made clear, there is more to the boroughs than the familiar sites found in other guidebooks; and the boroughs are made up of people, not just buildings and landscapes, and it was those people that interested Helmreich the most. Their voices permeate The Bronx Nobody Knows, just as in the other guides. For me, someone who lives in Queens, one thing I appreciate about Helmreich's books is the way he managed to get people to open up and say things that would both describe a place and convey the similarities binding people across the city and, on a wider canvas, across humanity. A BEAUTIFULLY MADE SERIES ON CAROSO ST JOHN CONTINUES: Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 2 2000–2012 by Caruso St John, published by MACK, October 2023 (Amazon) Caruso St John Collected Works: Volume 1 1990–2005 by Caruso St John, published by MACK, October 2022 (Amazon) Twelve months after MACK released the first volume in the collected works of British architects Adam Caruso and Peter St. John, the publisher put out the second volume, which takes the qualities of the first book — qualities I wrote about earlier this year in "Three Lessons from Three Monographs" — and applies them to the studio as they started their second decade and a new century began. I wrote in that post that monographs "should be comprehensive if not complete, "should convey the voice of the architect," and "should function as archives." Collected Works: Volume 1, I wrote, does all three: "From its simple linen cover with drawing of the steel facade of their Swan Yard project, strong stitching, and matte paper selection, to its documentation of built and unbuilt works over the title's fifteen years and the incorporation of articles and interviews previously published in Quaderns and other venues, the book is a beautiful object that is rewarding and refreshing on every turn of the page." Given the consistency of the two books, the same applies Collected Works: Volume 2. The numerous buildings, projects, exhibitions, articles, lectures, and other artifacts informing Caruso St John's work are presented in seven chapters, most of them pairs: "History and the Modern," "Greece and Rome," "Chicago and Milan," "Competitions," "Thomas Demand," "Switzerland," "Art and Money." These places and themes reflect their work extending beyond the confines of England as well as their teaching doing the same, with positions in Mendrisio, ETH Zurich, Harvard GSD, and elsewhere. The two architects explain how the studios they ran at universities incorporated reference texts by Rosalind Krauss, T. S. Eliot, Louis Sullivan, and others; those text are found here, enriching the monograph's collection of texts and projects and capturing the interests of two maturing architects. (Note: the two volumes are available from MACK in a Caruso St John Bundle.) THE CHICAGO SKYSCRAPER HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED: Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871-1934 by Thomas Leslie, published by University of Illinois Press, May 2013 (Amazon / Bookshop) In my 2021 review of Thomas Leslie's 2013 book Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934, I pointed out how Leslie's book is described in another book as a "'recent study that includes thorough discussion of structural and constructive technologies,' as opposed to more prevalent architectural histories that focus on aesthetics, politics, planning, social history, and other issues with tall buildings." Such a focus is evident in the appendix listing the dozens of tall buildings built in Chicago between 1871 and 1934 (the years of the Great Chicago Fire and Great Depression) with such criteria as "facade type" (bearing masonry, cast iron, expressed frame, curtain wall, etc.) and "foundation" (piles, spread, caissons). It's an excellent book, as is the second installment in Leslie's series of books on skyscrapers in Chicago, but the subtitle of the second book, How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City, indicates the incorporation of those wider contexts eschewed in the first book. Even with these topics, technology is the most prevalent, based on a quick glance at the book's contents, which include numerous construction photographs and 3D "digital reconstructions" of a lot of the buildings discussed in the book. Spanning from the Great Depression to the recessions of the 1970s and 80s, the new book contains a large diversity of architecture — from Art Deco and modernism to brutalism and postmodernism — but also enormous social changes and other aspects (migration, civil rights, oil crisis, Mayor Richard J. Daley) that make the embrace of broader contexts sensible. While any book on skyscrapers in that period would include Marina City, Bertrand Goldberg's classic city within a city completed in 1967, Leslie also includes Goldberg's Raymond Hilliard Homes, a public housing project on the South Side for seniors and families. The latter allow Leslie to compare the forms and construction of the two projects but also the opportunity to touch on racial segregation in the city. (A couple addenda: While the two books have similar covers, three-column page layouts, and graphic design features, the use of different page sizes and proportions — from 10x10" to 8.5x11" — is unfortunate and a missed opportunity for consistency on the shelf, especially if a third book in the series is forthcoming. And just as my 2021 review of the earlier Leslie book coincided with the author speaking at the Skyscraper Museum, Leslie is giving a virtual talk tomorrow night about his new book and the city's residential high-rises in concrete; the talk will be archived on the museum's YouTube channel.) ADVENTURES IN HOUSING: Cohousing in Barcelona: Designing, Building and Living for Cooperative Models edited by David Lorente, Tomoko Sakamoto, Ricardo Devesa and Marta Bugés, published by Actar Publishers and Ajuntament de Barcelona, August 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Housing Redux: Alternatives for NYC's Housing Projects by Nneena Lynch, James von Klemperer, Hana Kassan and Andrei Harwell, edited by Nina Rappaport and Saba Salekfard, published by Yale School of Architecture, December 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) If life were fair, everyone would have access to decent, well-designed housing, and those projects would garner as much attention in the architectural press as the single-family houses that are commissioned by and built for the wealthy. A modicum of balance has been found in recent years, with social housing projects winning major architectural awards and gaining coverage, most notably Lacaton and Vassal's transformation of public housing projects in France and Lacol's La Borda Cooperative Housing in Barcelona. The latter is the star of Cohousing in Barcelona, which features case studies of eighteen built and ongoing projects that are the result of a partnership between the Barcelona City Council and non-profit social housing providers and housing cooperatives. Even though I was fortunate enough to visit La Borda with the architects last year, the book's thorough documentation through photographs, drawings, and lengthy commentary from the architects means I learned something new about it — and the other commendable projects in the book. If cohousing is endemic to Barcelona, what is the NYC situation? In the 20th century it was a mix of below-market subsidized housing, public housing, and middle-income cooperatives, aka Mitchell-Lama. Today, everything is lumped under "affordable housing," and it is typically created by developers as part of larger market-rate projects, with the city incentivizing the developers through zoning bonuses. One place proponents of affordable housing are looking is the open spaces of large public housing projects, in the vein of Carmel Place, a narrow stack of micro-units by nARCHITECTS built in 2016. A recent studio at Yale School of Architecture had students proposing affordable housing solutions for NYCHA's Washington Houses in East Harlem; the public housing project consists of more than a dozen towers on three superblocks that are the equivalent of seven city blocks, with open space comprising more than 85% of the site. The students developed master plans and then designed schemes ranging from reimagined brownstones to terraced housing and other ways of weaving more units between the existing buildings. It's refreshing to see architecture students tackling affordable housing in creative ways. MONOGRAPHS WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: Field Guide to Indoor Urbanism by MODU (Phu Hoang and Rachely Rotem), published by Hatje Cantz, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Quiet Spaces by William Smalley, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2018 (Amazon / Bookshop) These two monographs are atypical — and refreshing — in that they incorporate content from outside the work of the designers who made them, but in ways that meld seamlessly with their own work. Although MODU, the Brooklyn studio of Phu Hoang and Rachely Rotem, is so young and has built so little a monograph would seem a bit premature, their Field Guide to Indoor Urbanism is nevertheless chock full of projects, each one illustrating the multifaceted nature of their output: architecture, urban interventions, installations, and socio-economic research among it. The duo makes a statement by upending conventions, literally, by starting the book with a glossary — one where the terms and definitions clearly describe their unique points of view — and ending it with the foreword. In between are essays, projects, and a series of conversations with Japanese architects, including Fumihiko Maki, Itsuko Hasegawa, and Kengo Kuma. The last is what would be considered the outsider content, but even then the interviews were conducted by Hoang and Rotem as part of their research into Second Nature, which they define as "a dual expression of social and environmental contexts. Humans and nature as one." Quiet Spaces is an apt title for the first monograph on UK architect William Smalley, who established his eponymous practice in London in 2010. The coffee table book is full of full-bleed color photographs captured mainly by Harry Crowder but also Hélène Binet; each photographers' choice of film over digital jibes with Smalley's handling of interior spaces, which could be called, for lack of a better term, timeless. The cover photograph by Binet — of Smalley's Oxfordshire Farm, done in collaboration with James Gorst Architects — hints at this quality, but it also recalls the work of Luis Barragan. Hardly by coincidence, Oxfordshire Farm is preceded by Barragan's own house in Mexico City, one of six "quiet spaces" in the book by other architects, ranging in time from Andrea Palladio to Peter Zumthor, with Geoffrey Bawa and others in between. Smalley's way of treating his inspirations in the book with equal weight to his own work is refreshing and illuminating, revealing shared qualities but also Smalley's enduring fascination with beautiful design regardless of the who, when, or where. (The Record section of his website expresses this too.) The mix results in a monograph that is surprisingly cohesive regardless of the various voices and times, reinforcing the timeless quality of Smalley's architecture. CAPTURING AMERICA'S PAST IN PHOTOGRAPHS: Lost in America: Photographing the Last Days of our Architectural Treasures by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Richard Nickel Dangerous Years: What He Saw and What He Wrote by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, published by CityFiles Press, December 2015 (Amazon) Anyone with a strong interest in architecture in the United States should know and love HABS, the Historic American Buildings Survey that is maintained by the Library of Congress. The voluminous collection of photographs and drawings spanning from 1933 to the present is a great resource for, among other things, people making architecture books. Photographer Jeffrey Ladd creatively mined the survey for A Field Measure Survey of American Architecture, creating a portrait of the US through a small sampling of the hundreds of thousands of HABS photographs. Similarly, photo historians Richard Cahan and Michael Williams pulled photographs from the survey to draw attention to the buildings and bridges that America lost to decay, neglect, demolition, and destruction. One hundred notable, lesser known, and fairly generic examples are presented in four chapters: Timeless, Forgotten, Disgraced, Doomed. Even though the HABS photographs have remained remarkably consistent over its 90 years, with contemporary photographers still using large-format film (not digital) cameras, Lost in America has a notable arc to it, with famous buildings early in the book and actual scenes of demolition, as in the cover photograph, found at the end. It's hard not to feel a tinge of melancholy or even anger at the wanton destruction implied and captured by the HABS photographers in black and white — emotions tempered, or perhaps even magnified, by the information presented in captions by Cahan and Williams. Although Lost in America is available on Amazon, Bookshop, and other usual outlets, people buying it directly from CityFiles have the option of getting a limited edition with a slipcase featuring a Richard Nickel photo of Chicago’s Republic Building, a Holabird and Roche building that was erected in the first decade of the 20th century and pulled down in 1961. Nickel is one of the photographers inside Lost in America, but the photographer and preservationist is also the subject of Dangerous Years, an earlier book also by Cahan and Williams and also published by CityFiles, in 2015. Cahan had written an earlier, indispensable biography on Nickel, They All Fall Down: Richard Nickel's Struggle to Save America's Architecture (notably, that book features a self-portrait of Nickel atop the Republic Building), so it is logical that he would make another book on Nickel, one that "in his own words and with his own pictures, is his story." The coffee table book traces Nickel's brief but productive and passionate career through photographs, letters, notes, sketches, and other artifacts displayed on large 9x12" pages with black backgrounds. Like Lost in America, Dangerous Years is melancholy, not only because he gravitated to buildings that often met the wrecking ball, but because his widely known end while salvaging materials from one such building is made all the more real through letters to/from his fiancé and even notes for a missing person report made by his parents on the day he went missing. ILLUSTRATED STORIES FOR KIDS — AND GROWN-UPS: Modern New York: The Illustrated Story of Architecture in the Five Boroughs from 1920 to Present by Lukas Novotny, published by Rizzoli, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Shigeru Ban Builds a Better World by Isadoro Saturno, illustrated by Stefano Di Cristofaro, published by Tra Publishing, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) A pair of illustrated books: one for children and one for grown-ups. Modern New York is Lukas Novotny's second book, following the similar Modern London published in 2018. The colorful illustrations — all of them straight-on elevations, as evidenced by the cover — give the impression that the book is yet another repackaging of famous and predominantly tall buildings in New York City: the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building are there on the cover, as are the American Radiator Building, the Pan Am (MetLife Building), AT&T, Hearst, and 432 Park Avenue. But the inclusion of Paul Rudolph's Tracey Towers in the Bronx and the presence of the Goodyear blimp and a helicopter landing on the Pan Am Building hint at a wider presentation. Novotny is actually drawn (pun intended) to buildings obscure, plain, and off the beaten path — those well beyond what's found in tourist guides. The buildings and modes of transportation, which were potentially more modern than the buildings, are presented in ten chapters: one per decade, from 1920 to present. Each is given at least 16 pages, so relatively insignificant decades (what was built in the 1940s?) reveal surprises even so-called experts, like this reviewer, weren't aware of. I wish there were more children's books about architecture, not only because they provide parents a way to educate their kids about architecture and architects at an early age, but because the subject has such a great potential for doing interesting children's books. Pop-ups! Concertina books! (I reviewed one of those.) Books by architects for their own kids! (I reviewed one of those, too.) Isadoro Saturno's children's book on Shigeru Ban gets creative with format, from its cardboard-like cover with cutout framing a portrait of the architect to the choice of matter paper, cutout-like illustrations, and smaller book on Ban's disaster-relief projects inserted into the middle of the book. By focusing on the fact Ban has made many buildings from paper, from cardboard tubes, and not all of them disaster-relief projects, the book shows kids that what they didn't think was possible is possible. The book opens their minds to the possibilities in anything, architecture or otherwise, encouraging them to think creatively and without limits. CHANGING ZURICH (AND ITS ENVIRONS): Urban Change Over Time: The Photographic Observation of Schlieren 2005–2020 Reveals How Switzerland Is Changing edited by Meret Wandeler, Ulrich Görlich and Caspar Schärer, published by Scheidegger and Spiess, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) New Housing in Zurich: Typologies for a Changing Society, edited by Dominique Boudet, published by Park Books, April 2018 (Amazon / AbeBooks) Last month the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) and Frankfurt Book Fair announced the winners of the 2023 DAM Architectural Book Award: ten books, nine of them from publishers in Germany and Switzerland, six from Zurich alone, and four of the ten winners published by Park Books or its sister publisher Scheidegger & Spiess. A winner by the last is Urban Change Over Time, a two-volume book with fifteen years of photo documentation of Schlieren, a satellite town on the western fringe of Zurich. The jury praised the book for its vision and endurance: "The book’s structure derives from the topic, explores many different aspects of the theme, and yet is very careful not to waste the reader’s time." The slimmer of the two volumes has nearly 150 pages of photographs on landscape-oriented pages, with each spread showing the matching photographic documentation of one spot in town over those fifteen years. The matching of the framing in the photos is remarkable, as if dozens of tripods were cemented into place throughout the town for the fifteen-year duration of the project. In some cases the changes are in your face, in many they're subtle, and in others they're apparently non-existent. The longer volume — 480 pages in portrait format — has photographs as well, many of them larger on the page and in the context of the town's development areas or focusing on different typologies; there are also essays, interviews, and maps that aid in orienting oneself with the photos and understanding some of the development areas. The whole is a beautiful production worthy of its accolade. While I don't think New Housing in Zurich nabbed a DAM Award when it was released five years ago, this book from Park Books pairs well with Urban Change Over Time, for its equally high production values, for its geographic proximity, and for simply having the word "changing" in its subtitle. (This book, though hard to find, should also appeal to readers interested in Cohousing in Barcelona and Housing Redux, featured above.) The book presents 51 housing projects spread across Zurich, some of which I was able to visit years before when in Zurich for my work with World-Architects. The projects I visited, and most of the ones in the book, are fairly large and therefore have large sites where site planning is paramount; site plans or aerial views are then included for each of the 51 projects, as well as floor plans, photographs (or renderings), and project descriptions. What makes the projects remarkable beyond their architectural qualities is the fact they are predominantly middle-class and/or cooperatives — making the book a suitable reference for other places where there is a shortage of such housing, well-designed or not.

Eight Decades of Modern Japanese Houses
- thames hudson
A review of a new book released this week: The Japanese House Since 1945 by Naomi Pollock, published by Thames & Hudson, November 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) What makes modern and contemporary Japanese houses so appealing? Much of it stems from the novelty of residential designs, which can be traced to a litany of factors, including a cultural acceptance of demolition and renewal that creates a constant stream of new architecture; a litany of legal requirements pushing architects — both young and established — to be formally creative; and let's not leave out the clients willing to take risks. Most of the houses that spark jealousy in architects outside of Japan are found in Tokyo and other urban areas where money, zoning, and architects converge to fuel unexpected creations. One factor, the country's exorbitant inheritance tax, leads many families to cut up their properties into smaller parcels to pay for the tax; the resulting, awkward pieces of land then require architects to squeeze a house into a wrapper defined by fire-safety requirements, sunshine laws, and practical concerns like a parking space. Such is the case today, but distinctive single-family houses in and beyond Tokyo have been prevalent since the end of World War II, when architects took part in the necessary postwar rebuilding that was buoyed by prosperity in the ensuing decades. Naomi Pollock's excellent The Japanese House Since 1945 traces the evolution of single-family houses across eight decades, focusing as much on the people who live(d) in the houses than the architects who designed them. The book is structured as a chronological, decade-by-decade presentation of nearly one hundred houses across 400 pages. Each house is documented in two to five pages with photographs, drawings, and a brief description. The photographs are of their period, rather than contemporary, probably done because most of the old houses have long been demolished. The floor plans are also original, rather than redrawn for the book, but they use a helpful numbered key that is consistent across the book. Last, and perhaps most important, are Pollock's descriptions, which incorporate quotes from the architects and/or the owners and provide details on the designs and living situations beyond typical surveys. Pollock has written numerous books on Japanese architecture, is an international correspondent for Architectural Record, and has elsewhere brought her firsthand accounts and access to architects in Japan to bear on architecture that many people outside of Japan are fascinated by. Compared to books such as New Architecture in Japan, co-written with Yuki Sumner, and Jutaku: Japanese Houses (see bottom of this review), The Japanese House Since 1945 is her most important and best book to date. Although the Japanese houses that are the subject of Pollock's new book are billed as, per the back cover, "many of the most exceptional and experimental houses in the world," it starts with houses that are more traditional than modern. Kunio Maekawa's own house in Tokyo, completed in 1942, has a wood exterior that "evoked traditional Japanese farmhouses," Pollock writes, but has a "spacious living room, exemplifying Maekawa's vision of the ideal house for the burgeoning modern era." Maekawa worked in the Paris atelier of Le Corbusier, later joining Antonin and Noémi Raymond in Tokyo, two foreign architects who moved to Japan after World War I (Antonin worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on the Imperial Hotel). The couple left Japan ahead of WWII but returned after its conclusion, building a house and studio (above spread) in Tokyo that is also rooted in traditional Japanese architecture but subtly signals this "burgeoning modern era." These two instances illustrate how outside influences entered Japan after the war, with tradition and modernity mixing in ways that would eventually lead to the exceptional architectural experimentation the country is known for. The chronological, decade-by-decade presentation allows the evolution of Japanese residential architecture to unfold gradually and be seen in the context of the 1964 Olympics, Expo 1970 in Osaka, the end of the bubble era, the March 2011 earthquake, COVID-19, and other epoch-defining events that are described by Pollock in intros to each decade. Readers see the introduction of concrete, steel, and other materials in the 1960s and 70s, followed by the light construction of the 80s and 90s, and the formal experimentation of our current century. Each decade has at least one icon — Kiyonori Kikutake's Sky House in the 50s, Kazuo Shinohara's Umbrella House in the 60s, Tadao Ando's Row House in Sumiyoshi in the 70s, etc. — but most readers will find something new among the 98 houses. Even those well-versed in modern Japanese houses will be pleased by the nine "At Home" pieces inserted throughout the book. In these, we learn about Yuki Kikutake, daughter of Kiyonori, growing up in Sky House; Fumihiko Maki writes about his own house built in Tokyo in 1978; and we read about the anonymous husband and wife living in Sou Fujimoto's House NA. A last ingredient is nine spotlights — one at the end of each chapter — that discuss the articulation of various elements: roofs, windows, stairs and corridors, gardens and courtyards, etc. The brief case studies, "At Home" features, and spotlights combine to create a compelling and vivid portrait of modern living in Japan over the last eight decades. Naomi Pollock's latest book prompted me to dig out a few other titles from my library that also present Japanese houses. They are described briefly below, presented in chronological order by date of publication, and are intended for anyone who wants do delve deeper into some of the decades or architects explored in Pollock's book; titles with links point to earlier reviews on this blog. Readers who want a more comprehensive overview of early modern Japanese architecture (not just houses) should find David B. Stewart's The Making of a Modern Japanese Architecture rewarding. The New Japanese House: Ritual and Anti-Ritual, Patterns of Dwelling by Chris Fawcett, published by Harper & Row, 1980 (Amazon / AbeBooks) The push and pull between tradition and modernity is the subject of this book by Chris Fawcett, the British critic who wanted to undo misconceptions in the West about Japanese houses. He focused on "Post-Metabolist" architecture, houses from the late 1960s and the 1970s that he presented as "ritual affirming" and "ritual disaffirming" houses. It's an intriguing book, but not one that seems to have had much of an influence all these years later; I wonder if Fawcett would have gone on to make more lasting and impactful books on Japanese architecture if he didn't die young. The New Japanese House can be bought inexpensively online, but harder to find is GA Houses 4: Ontology of House, Residential Architecture of 1970s in Japan, which features an essay by Fawcett and dozens of houses from that decade. Japan Houses in Ferroconcrete by Makoto Uyeda, photography by Junichi Shimomura, published by Graphic-Sha, 1988 (Amazon / AbeBooks) This book features 35 houses designed by 21 architects, all united by the use of concrete, varying from small applications, such as alongside wood, steel, and other materials, to expansive houses in reinforced concrete by the likes of Tadao Ando. Although dates are not provided for the houses, most are from the 1980s with some from the previous decade. One of the most rewarding aspects of this book, which I was chuffed to discover while browsing a used bookstore, is the fact all of the photographs — and there are A LOT of them — were specially taken for the book; they go much deeper inside the houses than the "official" photographs found in monographs and other publications. Tadao Ando 1: Houses and Housing, published by Toto, 2007 (Amazon / AbeBooks) 2G N.58/59: Kazuo Shinohara Houses edited by David B. Stewart, Shin-Ichi Okuyama and Taishin Shiozaki, published by Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2011 (Amazon / AbeBooks) One thing I find appealing about architecture in Japan is the way many famous architects there continue to design single-family houses even after getting hired for museums, office buildings, and other larger projects; houses are not merely a leg up to bigger commissions. In turn, monographs on architects' houses can occasionally be found. A couple favorites of mine are the first book in Toto's now-five-strong series on Tadao Ando (Houses and Housing was followed by Outside Japan, Inside Japan, New Endeavors, and Dialogues) and a double issue of 2G devoted to the houses of Kazuo Shinohara built between 1959 and 1988. In addition to them including some of the best modern Japanese houses ever built, the two publications are beautifully produced. Small Houses: Contemporary Japanese Dwellings by Claudia Hildner, published by Birkhäuser, 2011 (Amazon / AbeBooks) Another appealing aspect of Japanese houses is their size. Even though the petit houses prevalent in Japan can be attributed to the country's population density, the breaking up parcels to pay for inheritance taxes, as mentioned above, and other considerations that aren't necessarily geared to the sustainability of living small, it's refreshing to see so much creativity put into small houses rather than the oversized houses that are the norm in the US. This appropriately small book is a good collection of around two-dozen small houses by Go Hasegawa, Atelier Bow-Wow, Sou Fujimoto, and others, all of them completed within the few years leading up to the book's publication. The years since have seen many more creative Japanese houses but fewer house books for readers outside of Japan; websites are now the norm, but I'd be more than happy with more books like Small Houses. How to Make a Japanese House by Cathelijne Nuijsink, published by NAi Publishers, 2012 (Amazon / Bookshop) Astute readers may have noticed that most of the books featured in this post were authored by foreigners (Pollock from the US, Fawcett from the UK, Hildner from Germany, Nuijsink from The Netherlands), which goes hand in hand with the strong appeal Japanese houses have on people outside of Japan. I can't imagine a book titled "How to Make a Japanese House" coming from a Japanese architect; they would not need to explain the work they do on a daily basis to fellow Japanese architects doing the same. For Cathelijne Nuijsink, the premise of the book allowed her to explore the making of Japanese houses through in-depth interviews with four generations of their creators: Jun Aoki, Kazuyo Sejima, Junya Ishigami, and so on. It's an excellent book that remains in print a decade later. Jutaku: Japanese Houses by Naomi Pollock, published by Phaidon, 2015 (Amazon / Bookshop) Appropriately, this review of Naomi Pollock's The Japanese House Since 1945 ends with another book by Pollock: a compact Phaidon picture book with more than 400 contemporary Japanese houses, from Hokkaido in the snowy north to Kyushu in the subtropical south. Not surprisingly, most of the houses are found in Kanto Prefecture, which is anchored by Tokyo. It's a stellar collection that suffers from too much in a small package: there is only one photo per house, an exterior photo that shows readers what anyone would be able to see in public, just hinting at the qualities within. Two photos per house — one outside, one inside — could have been done with a slightly larger paper size. Alas, the book proves the creativity in Japanese residential architecture but leaves us wanting more — much more.

On the Future of Cities
- rizzoli
- routledge
The recent publication of two books prompted me to ponder the future of cities and do a write-up of them together: Implementing Urban Design: Green, Civic, and Community Strategies by Jonathan Barnett, published by Routledge, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Renewing the Dream: The Mobility Revolution and the Future of Los Angeles edited by James Sanders, published by Rizzoli Electa, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Implementing Urban Design is the latest of many books about urban design and planning by Jonathan Barnett, whose career and CV span around fifty years. Over that time he has served as an architect, planner, educator, and an advisor to cities in and beyond the US, including Charleston, South Carolina, Omaha, and New York City, where he was Director of Urban Design in the Department of City Planning. When I received Implementing Urban Design, one of the first things I did was scour my bookshelves for other books by Barnett (something I do with most other reviews). There I found his first book, Urban Design as Public Policy: Practical Methods for Improving Cities, published in 1974. It, his first book, summarized his efforts in that role at NYC Planning, presenting the working methods behind the projects he worked on and doing it in ways that other urban designers in other places could learn from them. Just as Barnett's first book was "concerned with techniques of dealing with a number of significant urban and environmental problems which are found in existing cities, or are created when new areas are developed," his latest book focuses on the "complicated interactive process" that is required to move urban designs from their conceptual phases to completion. "What happens in between," in other words, is the subject of Implementing Urban Design, illustrated in ten chapters with case studies drawn from Barnett's experience as an urban design consultant. New York City is here, in chapter 3, "Designing Cities Without Designing Buildings," an echo of a chapter of the same name in the 1974 book. The chapter in the earlier book includes, among other projects, the Lincoln Square Special Zoning District, created in the wake of construction of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and developers rushing to build near it. A requirement to build to the sidewalk (to a height of at least 85') and including arcades for the buildings on the east side of Broadway were the most dramatic components of the special district. Too early to see its impact in 1974, Implementing Urban Design shows the area nearly fifty years later, with a hodgepodge of towers on podiums along Broadway but a street wall that is fairly cohesive. Although the arcade requirement was eventually eliminated from the special district (they're now "permitted" rather than required, such that recent projects like Robert A. M. Stern's 15 Central Park West don't have one), the bulk of the requirements are there, working to maintain that certain design aspects of Broadway north of Columbus Circle extend into the future. The same chapter in the new book also touches on the office campus of PPG in Pittsburgh and a streetscape handbook for Norfolk, Virginia, but other chapters often delve deeper into individual projects in individual cities. For example, chapter nine, "Mobilizing Support to Redesign an Entire City," presents Barnett's process in the fairly massive creation of a master plan for Omaha, Nebraska (the cover depicts a visualization from the plan). Another chapter, "Changing Regulations to Prevent Suburban Sprawl," documents his work with Wildwood, a town west of St. Louis that incorporated in 1995 and wanted to develop a new zoning ordinance that would be appropriate to the area and veer from the suburban norm. My wife being from St. Louis, a city I've in turn visited numerous times, attracted me to this chapter, whose theme — preventing urban sprawl — is of undeniable importance. Barnett walks through the process in detail, from initial contact and developing a team, to research, concepts, writing the master plan and development regulations, and devising a specific plan for the Town Center. The last is now just partially built out, about 25 years after Barnett was brought in. But if we learned anything from the Lincoln Square example, urban designs can take upwards of fifty years until they are "complete." Spread from Renewing the Dream: The Mobility Revolution and the Future of Los Angeles If the visuals in Implementing Urban Design are, to put it inelegantly, less than sexy, the opposite is true of Renewing the Dream, which was edited by James Sanders, author of Celluloid Skyline, and produced in association with Woods Bagot, the Australian firm that now boasts 17 offices around the world. The "freshest member" of the global studio, founded in 2020, is in Los Angeles, where numerous projects to date have focused on transportation, including a concourse at LAX and a proposal for turning gas stations in Los Angeles into EV charging stations with cultural components like drive-in theaters. This beautifully produced coffee table book is full of striking visuals by Woods Bagot and from the worlds of art, photography, and cinema. Even though Renewing the Dream presents a number of projects by the LA studio of Woods Bagot, including the ReCharge LA Prototype EV Station, I wouldn't call the book a monograph. Consisting of a half-dozen essays and two interviews alongside case studies of Woods Bagot projects — all geared around the theme of the "mobility revolution" in Los Angeles — the book's genre is indefinable: it is a hybrid that Sanders describes in the introduction as a "kaleidoscopic portrait" of LA, with "an unusually wide-ranging mix of content—research and data studies, urban design and public art projects, cultural and historical overviews, surveys of current and future technologies." ReCharge LA Prototype EV Station by Matt Ducharme and Woods Bagot Los Angeles Studio The book's wide-ranging content is predicated on what Sanders and Woods Bagot call LA 3.0, a new Los Angeles in the making, following LA 2.0, the freeway and tract-housing landscape of the mid-20th century, and, before that, LA 1.0, the streetcar and boulevard paradigm before WWII. Some of the in-progress LA 3.0 is mandated — extending the subway by 2028, the year of the LA Olympics, and the outlaw of gas cars and trucks for sale by 2035, accelerating the rise of EVs — but much of it comes from wider developments that aren't necessarily rooted in LA but have taken hold there, notably the climate emergency (think the Getty Fire in 2019) and digital technologies like Uber, which eliminate the need for personal cars on, for instance, nights out with friends. Los Angeles may seem like the most unlikely place for a book devoted to a mobility revolution, but my personal experience with LA gave me the opposite impression. My only trip to the city was around twenty years ago, when I spent two weeks there working on a competition with a short deadline. I stayed at the Biltmore in downtown, with a view of Pershing Square out my window. My morning commute was walking across the street to U.S. Bank Tower; my evening commute, 12 or 16 hours later, was the opposite. No car, no driving — a very un-LA experience of LA. But on weekends I walked around DTLA, took buses to the Getty Center and Santa Monica, and rode the subway to West Hollywood. Although I was a tourist, my experience showed me it was possible to navigate a good deal of LA without a car. An expanded subway network, more frequent buses, urban design focused on walkability and bicycling — it isn't hard to consider these and other efforts having dramatic changes on the car-centric nature of Los Angeles. Yet, the wide-ranging mix of content in Renewing the Dream reveals that the biggest impact of mobility advances on the city — any American city, really, not just LA — is found in parking. If changes in laws, increased public transit, technology advances, and other things lead Americans and Angelenos to have fewer cars, drive less, and use ride-sharing and take public transit more, then the many square miles of surface parking lots can be given over to spaces for people, not cars: densifying (sub)urban areas and providing housing and other much-needed functions. So, in addition to the ReCharge LA project, the book includes MORE LA, Woods Bagot's study for infilling lots previously used for surface parking, and Sanders' own California Court project, a denser version of the city's beloved bungalow courtyards apartments from a century ago. The last, documented in the 1982 book Courtyard Housing in Los Angeles, is one of a few-dozen books in the bibliography whose quotes and influence pepper Renewing the Dream. The older book and newer proposal illustrate that, while certain elements of the mobility revolution are linear and future-oriented, some of them are historical and cyclical. The answers to tomorrow's sustainable Los Angeles, in other words, are found as much in the city's existing built environment as they are in technologies and designs still to come.

Visualizing the World, Visualizing Change
- actar
- lars muller
- princeton university press
In 1939, Otto Neurath's Modern Man in the Making was released by Alfred A. Knopf. Neurath was director of the International Foundation of Visual Information and used the Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) system to "teach through the eye." A recent article describes Modern Man in the Making as a "pictorial statistical history of human technological adaptation and social cooperation [that] addressed a modern audience searching for optimistic narratives amid an economically, politically, and socially volatile era." The book is a classic, and for someone like me who veers toward arguments made in a combination of words and images, it is a book I should probably have — at the very least, I should know more about it. Although it was released as a trade book, can be found cheaply in b/w reprints, and is freely available on the Internet Archive, first editions of Modern Man in the Making go for hundreds and thousands of dollars. This is one of those books that screams out for a high-quality facsimile edition — and it will be getting that treatment early next year, courtesy of Lars Müller Publishers. The timing is curious, though, as Lars Müller just released Joy and Fear, in which Theo Deutinger brings the subjects and visual techniques of Neurath's magnum opus into the 21st century. Although Deutinger writes that his book "enters in dialogue" with Neurath's book, I couldn't help thinking that the two books side by side would heighten the differences and similarities, the constants and changes between the 1930s and the 2020s. Alas, I'll have to wait until February to do that. Joy and Fear is not the first book by Theo Deutinger published by Lars Müller. That was Handbook of Tyranny, which was published in 2018 and was recently released in an updated, expanded edition. I didn't see it upon its initial release, though I did catch Deutinger's display of the book's illustrations — the walls, fences, and other means of controlling human behavior in cities — in actual objects: plants, railings, barbed wire, a prison jumpsuit and other pieces of the "routine cruelties of the twenty-first century" at the Storefront for Art and Architecture. That 2019 exhibition prompted me to get the book and then write a review: "The straightforward illustrations look like they could have been pulled from Architectural Graphic Standards, making the book read at times like an actual handbook for tyrannical dictators." Deutinger's "detailed non-fictional graphic illustrations," as described by the publisher, also owe a debt to Neurath, as evinced by the publication of Joy and Fear. People who already own the first edition of Handbook of Tyranny won't find it necessary to buy the update, given that the changes amount to just eight new pages and consist mainly of some new paragraphs here and there, and the reordering of charts and graphics to reflect the state of the world five years later. Still, I appreciated the fact Deutinger went to the effort of an update, doing something that was de rigueur in books decades ago but is now rare, almost exclusively the province of the internet, which can be updated in close to real time. But Deutinger's illustrations — almost subversive in their dryness — are appropriate to the pages of a book; I feel like they would lose something on the screen, even though the changes impacting his illustrations happen at a clip much faster than in half-decade intervals. Spread from Handbook of Tyranny (Expanded Edition) by Theo Deutinger, published by Lars Múller Publishers, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In between Handbook of Tyranny and Joy and Fear, Deutinger and Lars Müller put out Ultimate Atlas: Logbook of Spaceship Earth, a book that uses lines — and nothing else — "to create a total portrait of the planet." No wonder one review calls it "the ultimate simplification of reality." I haven't seen that book, but visually it seems that Joy and Fear strikes a balance between the highly detailed illustrations of Tyranny and the minimalism of Ultimate Atlas, as if Neurath's Isotype cannot be improved upon in describing the state of the world over time. As described above, Deutinger's book "dialogues" with Neurath's nearly century-old book. It does this by extending the timeline to the present and adjusting some data visualization from the original; the latter updates are highlighted with the icon of a person holding up a sign. What does the book reveal about the modern world? Clearly, yet unfortunately and not surprisingly, that progress is being made by the few, not the many: geographically, demographically, politically, economically, etc. Spread from Joy and Fear: An Illustrated Report on Modernity by Theo Deutinger, published by Lars Múller Publishers, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The spread above can serve to illustrate how the book works. The red, blue, and black chart on the left shows household ownership of amenities in the USA, from 1910 to 2020, including such items as computers, phones, wifi, telephones (cell and landline separately), toilets, and electricity. Most of the amenities are full as of 2020, though only one — landline telephones — is in decline. Though the same chart for other geographical areas would be telling, the opposite page shows an update version of data viz. from Neurath's 1939 book: radios, TVs, and cars in the 1930s (top) and 2020s (bottom) in the six geographical regions used throughout Deutinger's book (USA and Canada, Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southern Territories, Far East). Although the scales change between the two charts, it's clear that the regions in the bottom rows (Latin America, Southern Territories, Far East) have become more modern in recent decades. But it's up to the reader to speculate on what so many cars mean, for instance, to our warming planet. Visualizing how the continued burning of fossil flues will impact our warming planet is one subject of Climate Inheritance, the latest book from Design Earth, the brilliantly inventive studio of Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy that previously wrote and illustrated Geographies of Trash (2015), Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment (2018), and The Planet After Geoengineering (2021). The cover features one of the many beautiful illustrations populating the book: a diagram of aquifers refilled by injecting storm water into "bladders" that serve to raise the sinking city of Venice. Venice and its Lagoon is one of ten sites in the book, each one on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Others include the Galápagos Islands, Sagarmatha National Park, and the Statue of Liberty. What is the future of such places — heritage sites that are already preserved to a greater extent than other places — when the Anthropocene leads to inherited conditions future generations may not anticipate? Spread from Climate Inheritance by Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy (DESIGN EARTH), published by Actar Publishers, August 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) By way of illustration, the chapter on the Statue of Liberty indicates that Design Earth is not interested exclusively on the preservation and care of monuments, of places deemed heritage sites; what they symbolize is also important, revealing that inheritances involve myriad problems beyond the environmental and physical. To Ghosn and Jazairy, the statue gifted to the USA from France is about patina, poverty, and pollution: "The ecology of the color line is more than skin deep." Pollution led to damage on the skin of the statue and the need for numerous restorations, but well beyond that, "disparate exposure to pollutants," the book reads in regards to today's reframing of socioeconomic inequalities, "may help explain racial discrepancies in lung functioning." In Design Earth's imagined future, the Statue of Liberty appears to be joined by a "Brown Lady Liberty," the symbol of "a long awaited but not yet actualized freedom that was articulated over a century and a half ago." One more book that joins with the other three to be — in my mind, at least — an illustration of how images are effective in describing the world and the way it changes over time is Stephen J. Eskilson's Digital Design: A History. Eskilson's book, unlike the other three, does not use newly created images to create a narrative, but the story that he is telling is about images: design in its various aspects, from graphic and industrial design to architecture and data visualization. It's a history that needs to be told, especially since people now born into the digital world don't realize how developments in design from the 20th and even earlier centuries shaped our digital present — and likewise will shape our digital futures. Architecture is the subject of two chapters: "Digital Architecture I: Origins" and "Digital Architecture II: Parametrics and 3D Printing." (The latest buzz in architecture — and just about every realm, really — AI, is treated in its own chapter.) In the first architecture chapter, Eskilson moves from the Sydney Opera House, in which "[Ove] Arup pioneered the use of computational analysis," to Peter Cook and Colin Fournier's Kunsthaus Graz via Frank Gehry in Bilbao, Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus, and Greg Lynn. The second chapter jumps ahead to Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher, especially the latter's wholehearted, sometimes controversial embrace of parametricism, while also looking at how digital software bridges construction via 3D printing and robotics. This is design history, remember, so there is nothing novel in what Eskilson discusses, but he succinctly traces some of the most important developments to describe our current condition. (Unfortunately, one typo — and I hope it's just that — distracted me while reading the first architecture chapter: Eskilson calls AD, the "magazine that associated digital architecture with aspects of structuralist theory," Architectural Digest instead of Architectural Design! I can't think of more polar opposites than these two publications sharing the first term and abbreviation but having very little else in common.) Spread from Digital Design: A History by Stephen Eskilson, published by Princeton University Press, October 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Even with two architecture chapters among its twelve chapters, most interesting to me is the chapter devoted to data visualization, a subject that is also strongly aligned with Neurath and Deutinger. Like other chapters in the book, Eskilson briskly covers decades and centuries in just around twenty pages, moving from 18th-century charts and graphs to digital data on websites, across buildings, and on the walls of galleries. Some of what makes this chapter so appealing is the abundance of examples unknown to me, such as Nam June Paik's Electronic Superhighway (1995), which is pictured above, has a permanent home at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and now I feel I must go see. (That said, I wish the book had a list of books for further reading, and I am surprised that a book published by a university press has no footnotes at all.) More recent examples are really interesting, including Oliver O'Brien's Tube Tongues (2014), an interactive map that shows the prevalence of non-English speaking in different London neighborhoods. Rising to the fore re: data viz., though, is the importance of design/the designer in making data in digital environments visible and understandable, especially when the output is on a website and via an API, for instance, rather than in a book and done by an illustrator. The books above may be old-fashioned, just by the fact they are books rather than digital environments, but they offer plenty to consider in regards to thinking about and visualizing the world around us — now and in the future.

The 'As Found'
- flanders
Over at World-Architects I reviewed As Found: Experiments in Preservation (Flanders Architecture Institute, 2023) edited by Sofie De Caigny, Hülya Ertas and Bie Plevoets, the companion to the exhibition of the same name at the Flanders Architecture Institute. Read my review here.

The Past and Future of Architecture Books
- unicorn
- valiz
The recent receipt of two review books got me thinking about the past and the future of architecture books. The first one is This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings, a collection of excerpted texts about buildings, spanning from the mid-1800s to the 2010s. This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings edited by Stephen Bayley and Robert Bargery, published by Unicorn Publishing Group, October 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Edited by Stephen Bayley and Robert Bargery, respectively chair and executive director of the UK's Royal Fine Art Commission Trust, This Is Architecture is billed as "different" from the typical "writing on building by architects [that] is limited to exculpatory manifestos or technical sermonizing to a captive congregation of converts." They describe the nearly 100 excerpted texts as "exceptional examples of writing on buildings by writers which merit inclusion on the quality of the writing alone" (emphasis in original). So readers find Lewis Mumford, Ada Louise Huxtable, Ian Nairn, Martin Pawley, and others who wrote (well) about architecture for a living, but also Virginia Woolf, Umberto Eco, Jean Baudrillard, Blaise Cendrars, and others far removed from the field of architecture. The aims of the "non-partisan" and "non-didactic" selection are to "enhance popular appreciation of architecture and to celebrate those who are architecture's eloquent champions." Presented in a "running order [that] is essentially random," each writing is accompanied by a biography of the author in a narrow column; in a few cases the excerpt is so short the bio runs longer on the page, as in the four lines from Louis Kahn's Conversations with Students from 1969. As in any book that is basically a survey, a collection of things united by a theme, it's easiest as a reviewer to focus on organization, presentation, and selection. In order, I find the "essentially random" organization interesting at times (Kahn's text opposite Rem Koolhaas's Delirious New York, for instance) but for the most part insignificant, since many entries span multiple pages, each one serves as a self-contained statement, and such a book can be read in many ways beyond the usual front to back. The presentation is very good, from the glossy papers with occasional images to the inclusion of a ribbon bookmark and the list of sources in the back matter. The selection is fittingly UK-centric, with numerous English critics alongside Nairn and Pawley, for instance, and far too many writings about London and buildings in London. But where are Michael Sorkin and Herbert Muschamp, two US critics who I read for "the thrill of their prose" and "the stimulation to be had from their insights," qualities the editors find lacking in architectural criticism? Unfortunately, they are missing: a shame, given that Muschamp's nearly iconic critique of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao is far more interesting than Jonathan Glancey's piece excerpted here. Judging the book based on what it includes, rather than what it omits, and doing so in the context of me thinking about the past and future of architecture books, This Is Architecture says a few main things to me: writings on buildings are not the sole purview of architects and architecture critics, since architecture is "the most important art because [it is] the one that cannot be ignored," as the editors assert; architecture is more than aesthetics and style, as evidenced by the texts that focus on other aspects of the built environment; and the most influential writings on architecture have not been exclusively in books, given the numerous texts excerpted from magazines and journals, some of which were later collected in book form (think Martin Filler's NYRB essays and his Makers of Modern Architecture series). These three points are hardly groundbreaking — they're obvious, really — but it's good to be reminded now and again about such things. While the point of This Is Architecture is to take pleasure in things written in the past, it inadvertently says some things about the future by focusing on a diversity of voices, approaches to writing about architecture, and media. Which brings us to the second book, Future Book(s), in which editors Pia Pol and Astrid Vorstermans asked journalists, artists, architects, and others to speculate on the future of the book, specifically "books on art, design and architecture, and cultural-critical publications." Future Book(s): Sharing Ideas on Books and (Art) Publishing edited by Pia Pol and Astrid Vorstermans, published by Valiz, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The occasion of the recently published book is the twentieth anniversary of Valiz, the Amsterdam publisher started by Vorstermans in June 2003 (Pol joined in 2008). The last twenty pages of Future Book(s) shows the covers of the many books put out by Valiz over those twenty years, some in series (Antennae, Vis–à–Vis), many in Dutch and almost as many in English, and all on art, design and architecture, and culture, as expected. I have not read any Valiz books before Future Book(s) (one of their books, Binational Urbanism: On the Road to Paradise, was featured on this blog, but reviewed by an outside contributor), but it's clear the publisher focuses on the margins, presenting work by artists, practitioners, and academics that explore new territory in their fields. The design of Future Book(s) accentuates their position; in many ways the book is the antithesis of This Is Architecture, from the voices included in its pages to the materiality and layout of the same: the glossy This Is Architecture has a staid, consistent format from piece to piece, while the various chapters of Future Book(s) were laid out by different graphic designers, limited only by the monochrome palette of the lightweight matte paper. If This Is Architecture's random order makes flipping through the book one of surprising adjacencies, Future Book(s) is the same times ten. Each thematic chapter may be united by a single graphic designer, but each contribution is treated singularly, meaning they are visually unique but often wholly unexpected takes on the subject at hand. A fairly academic text with footnotes but sans illustrations may be followed by a two-page spread that is entirely illustrated content, followed by six pages of artworks, followed by a personal anecdote, and so on. The themes that structure the book (Personal Threads, Histories Unfolding, Digital Realms, Shaping Future Form, etc.) are vague enough that contributions could fit in just about any of them; in fact, the editors admit the dozen themes were came later, meaning the contributors were not beholden to any themes in speculating on future books. Still, the editors give some hints in their introduction: "By definition, books are made for the future. They solidify knowledge while at the same time generating new ideas. They make sure that the now finds a place where it is accessible to the future." While the comments of Vorstermans and Pol make it seem that threats to the future of the book are hyperbolic, there is no shortage of contributors imagining distant futures where books take on forms different than the bound books we are familiar with. Books 200 years in the future, as seen in Elisabeth Klement and Pieter Verbeke's contribution, look like books, but they are made underwater, celebrated at the New York Art Book Fair Under Water 2223, and read by dogs, who have evolved considerably in the ensuing two centuries. In Tricia Treacy's piece, "What If?," shortages of paper are addressed through algorithms that "design and print several different texts of interest, overlapping on individual sheets of paper throughout a custom book..." More than one contribution examines how AI will be involved in the making of books, but nobody denies that ChatGPT and other will be involved to some degree. Uniting the texts, as I mentioned, are the nearly dozen designers, whose treatment of the contributions illustrates the importance of graphic design and the inadequate nature of web pages and other digital media by comparison. My reading through of This is Architecture and Future Book(s) coincided with me visiting The Book in the Age of ... exhibition at Harvard GSD's Loeb Library, which I reviewed for World-Architects a couple of weeks ago. Curated by Rem Koolhaas, Irma Boom, and Phillip Denny, among other elements the exhibition had (it ended yesterday after six weeks) a large three-part "book" on a table near the entrance to the library. Across the three parts, it moved from books in the age of "the hand" to the age of "press" to the age of "machine." One page in the last included this statement relevant to the blog post you're reading: "The future book is local. It is made from locally produced materials, printed nearby, and delivered to homegrown readership. Hyper-local publishing will lead to a renaissance of book innovation." Positioned beneath an image of the cover of Elements of Architecture, the massive book by Rem Koolhaas and Irma Boom that came out of Koolhaas's 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, but not attributed to anyone, the statement (image above) comes across to me as Boom's, given how she has spoken about the appeal of books from the 1500s, the 1600s, and the 1960s: "periods [that] demonstrate freedom and creativity in the use of materials, typography, sizes of the books, and structure of the texts" (source). An example from the 1960s is Art of the Sixties, published by the Wallraf-Richartz Museum with plastic covers, a plexiglass spine, metal screws, color photos pasted on brown paper, and portraits of the artists on transparent foils (take a look). The 1500s and 1600s follow the invention of the Gutenberg press, while the sixties came after the war and coincided with great social change. Similarly, the digital software and other tools that led to e-ink, ebooks, and other potential book-busting technologies will most likely herald this "renaissance of book innovation." The statement from the exhibition also indicates that bookmaking will have to respond to climate change, dwindling resources, and other things that will (continue to) impact our globalized world. Books tend to be produced in one place (unknown for This Is Architecture, Netherlands for Future Book(s)) and then are shipped around the world from there; "hyper-local publishing" would reduce the need for books to be loaded on container ships and sent halfway around the world, using digital technologies and local printers to create variations on a book based on papers, inks, bindings, etc. It would also lead to more variations on subjects, as seen in these two books, considering the UK-centric nature of This Is Architecture and the numerous Dutch voices in Future Book(s). Actually, the UK- and NL-focus of these two books are what made me think of the statement from The Book in the Age of ... exhibition. If the future book is hyper-local, not just national or local, dramatic changes in production and distribution should lead to changes in content and design. Who knows, maybe the 2030s will be as exciting as the 1500s, 1600s, and 1960s?

A Modernist Reads About Lutyens
- acc
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the English architect who was born in 1869 and died in 1944, that is. Although a famous name, Lutyens was not an architect I had much familiarity with before I received a review copy of the first volume of The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Flipping through it prompted me to do a little digging on Lutyens in other publications. Racking my brain, it seems my classmates and I learned very little about him in architecture school a few decades ago. As a traditionalist with buildings in Arts and Crafts, Edwardian, and neoclassical garb, Lutyens was far removed from the concerns of postmodernism, deconstructivism, and any other –isms in vogue a half-century after his death. If we had heard his name, it was most likely in regards to what's referred to as Lutyens’ Delhi in New Delhi, the British colonial capital in India that he laid out and designed buildings for between 1912 and 1931. The Beaux-Arts plan culminated in the Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan), the grandiose domed presidential residence, inaugurated in 1931, that is arguably his greatest building. Yet, when I dig into my library to find some mention of Lutyens, the few titles I can find emphasize his country houses rather than his work in India. The trusty Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Architecture (2004), for instance, devotes one short paragraph to New Delhi, it coming after a handful of paragraphs listing his many notable country houses. In her entry on Lutyens, Hilary J. Grainger calls him "one of the most noteworthy English architects of his generation," one who was "above all, a domestic architect." In another instance, the first US edition of Nikolaus Pevsner's A Dictionary of Architecture (1976) praises the "genuine monumentality" of the Viceroy's House but goes further in describing his early Arts and Crafts houses as "excellent" and his later Edwardian houses as "really spectacular." Although Lutyens is nowhere to be found in Pevsner's An Outline of European Architecture (1943) or in his influential genealogical history of modernism, Pioneers of Modern Design (1949; originally published as Pioneers of the Modern Movement in 1936), Pevsner did write a lengthy reassessment of Lutyens for Architectural Review in 1951. The occasion was the then-recent publication of the three-volume The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens by A.S.G. Butler and The Life of Sir Edwin Lutyens by Christopher Hussey. Pevsner admits he did not find Lutyens as important in the development of European architecture as C.F.A. Voysey and Charles Renee Mackintosh, two contemporaries both in Pioneers, but given that Lutyens built more than them and his "success was so much bigger and maintained over so much longer a period," Pevsner found the large three-volume monograph and 600-page biography sufficiently warranted. What stands out to me are how Pevsner praises Lutyens' "immense care over details," which is paralleled by the many exquisite detail drawings in the three volumes by Butler, and "the fun he had with space," a bit of a surprise given the traditional nature of the plans he developed. Pevsner's statement that "Lutyens’ handling of space has not in the past been sufficiently appreciated," says to me why this noteworthy English architect failed to impact the architects who overlapped with him chronologically but went down different avenues in the 20th century: with modernism's focus on space, especially open and flowing space, Lutyens offered little overt inspiration. Similar sentiments to Pevsner's are explored in Architectural Monographs No. 6, published by Andreas Papadakis in 1979. The foreword to the monograph edited by David Dunster and featuring a lengthy essay by Peter Inskip starts: "This issue of Architectural Monographs is something of a departure" from previous issues, among them Michael Graves and Alvar Aalto, because Lutyens "has never been canonized by architectural historians as a predecessor of the Modern Movement." It continues: "His vast output of over 300 buildings and projects shows a continuing fascination with traditional construction techniques and borrowing from the past," as evident in "the scale and detailing of the functionally distinct rooms." No new technologies and no open plans — no wonder Lutyens has remained influential with classically trained architects but not with modernists (not that there are just the two camps, of course). While Inskip looks at Lutyens' houses from a "modernist point of view," he was not the first to do so. A decade earlier, in the pages of Perspecta 12: The Yale Architectural Journal, architect Allan Greenberg explored architectural similarities between Lutyens and Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. Greenberg's 1969 essay, "Lutyens' Architecture Restudied," was later put into book form, in 2007, as Lutyens and the Modern Movement. In the earlier essay he presents numerous floor plans of Lutyens' houses from the first decade of the 1900s and points out a few characteristics common to them: a symmetrical disposition of rooms; a solid mass (or void) at the crossing of the main axes; an independent circulation pattern overlaid on the first two; and an intricate plan hidden by the formal, symmetrical massing and elevations. It is in the plan where he links Lutyens and Wright, finding the same four characteristics in Wright's Ward Willits House from 1901. The departure in the two architects' contemporaneous plans are rooted in space: "Wright's space is continuous and flowing," Greenberg writes, while "Lutyens seldom planned continuous spaces [...] but he was aware of the potential." Greenberg finds some of the same with Corbusier's houses of the 1920s, though he also discusses the similarities between New Delhi and Chandigarh at length. Which brings me to the impetus for this post: The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses by A.S.G. Butler with George Stewart and Christopher Hussey, published by ACC Art Books, April 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) As mentioned above, The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens — aka the Lutyens Memorial Series, given that it was published six years after his death — was first published in 1950 in three volumes, the first on "Country Houses"; the second on "Gardens, Delhi, and Washington"; and the third on "Public Buildings, Etc." The originals (now fetching thousands of dollars) were published by Country Life, the British magazine founded by Edward Hudson in 1897. (Country Life also published the Lutyens biography by Christopher Hussey mentioned above.) Not only did Hudson commission Lutyens for several houses, most notably Deanery Gardens (1901) and Lindisfarne Castle (1903), and the magazine's offices, he regularly published the architect's buildings in his magazine. The photos, drawings, and text from the magazine are what became the three-part Memorial. The large-format books (12x16"!) were reprinted by the Antique Collectors Club at least twice that I gather, in 1984 and 2002, each in limited print runs. The new reprints are being published by ACC Art Books, the successor to the Antique Collectors Club, which was bought by The Images Publishing Group in 2016. The first volume, featured here, was published in spring of this year, the second volume came just last month, and the third volume is forthcoming. Around the time of the 2002 reprint, Gavin Stamp wrote an extensive introduction for Edwin Lutyens: Country Houses (From the Archives of Country Life), published by Aurum Press and The Monacelli Press. Although Stamp was, from the best of my limited knowledge of him, an architectural historian more interested in Greek, Victorian, and other architectures predating modernism, he also felt the need to align Lutyens with modern architecture, specifically Wright. His introduction quotes a review of the Memorial series by Wright himself, from a 1951 issue of Building magazine: "[I] voice admiration of the love, loyalty, and art with which this cultured architect, in love with Architecture, shaped his buildings. To him the English chimney, the Gable, the Gatepost monumentalized in good brickwork and cut-stone were motifs to be dramatized with great skill. He was able to idealize them with a success unequaled." So, basically, in the 20th century, the relevance of Lutyens relied on his architecture being influential on younger generations of architects who were trained in modernism or, in later decades, were dabbling in postmodernism. Even A.S.G. Butler and his collaborators wrote in Country Houses that, while "Sir Edwin was not a notable exponent of the slick modern mode," they did not believe "the architecture of Lutyens was outside the main stream [sic] of modern work." Does the same striving to align Lutyens with modern architecture apply today, in the third decade of the 21st century, more than 150 years after the birth of Lutyens and more than 75 years after his death? My opinion, and it is just that, is no, the archive of Lutyens' architecture can stand on its own without the need for it to be aligned with more forward-thinking contemporaries. If anything, the opposite of previous attempts is most valid today: his work is an inspiration for architects more inclined to vernacular, classical, and other traditional styles of architecture. While I'm not a proponent of 21st-century classicism, I'm all for a plurality of architectural expressions — if they're done intelligently, capably, and, dare I say, beautifully. And with the superrich getting superricher, our current age isn't too far off from the late 1800s, when Lutyens started designing country houses for people of means. Put another way, large houses on par with those in Country Houses are being made today, unfortunately as lousy McMansions rather than tasteful and complex compositions rooted in architects like Lutyens. I'm generalizing, to be sure, but the audience for this book is both well-defined and likely to buy it. The series, it should be noted, is the winner of the inaugural ICAA Book of the Year from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. With all that said, is The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses, keeping in mind that it is a reprint of a nearly 75-year-old book, good? The quality of the reprint is nearly perfect, with a good selection of papers for the three sequential parts of the book: the texts, the drawings, and the black-and-white photographs. Text and drawings are on matte heavyweight pages, while the photos are on glossy paper. The inks make everything read well; in particular, the drawing reproductions are exquisite. The book is big and apparently well-built, but a tear at the hinge of the paste-down endpaper and free endpaper indicates it might not be strong enough. Hence, not quite perfect. My main frustrations are with the format of the book, which obviously goes back to the original. The text is page after page of wide justified columns — four to a spread, roughly fifty pages without a single illustration; it's a bit of a slog. Houses in the roughly chronological text are keyed to the drawings, which are numbered I to CX and logically follow the text. I often appreciate properly keyed texts, like here, but without any inline images this format requires a lot of flipping back-and-forth in a very big book. And the photos that come third and last in the book? They are numbered, 1 to 271, but they not keyed to the texts or the drawings. What is the result of this three-part structure? Unless you follow the text closely, dutifully flipping to the drawings and searching for the related photographs, forming a mental image of each house (and there are many) based on description, drawing, and photographs is difficult. The Papadakis and Monacelli books mentioned above use project structures more common in architectural monographs, with text descriptions alongside photographs and drawings; these make knowing Castle Drogo, Grey Walls, The Salutation, Tigbourne, and other houses by name that much easier. Familiarity in The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens comes with a bit more effort, but it's an effort architects interested in Lutyens will find rewarding. Spread from The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses Spread from The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses Spread from The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Volume 1: Country Houses

From Slow House to Blue Dream
- delmonico
Blue Dream is a house designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro for Julia "Julie" Reyes Taubman and her husband Robert "Bobby" Taubman. The house, located in East Hampton, on the South Fork of Long Island, was completed in 2017, nearly 30 years after the architects were commissioned to design their first house on Long Island, the Slow House. A book devoted to Blue Dream, written by Paul Goldberger, was released last month by DelMonico Books. Blue Dream and the Legacy of Modernism in the Hamptons: A House by Diller Scofidio + Renfro by Paul Goldberger, photography by Iwan Baan, published by DelMonico Books, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Like other architects educated in the United States in the early 1990s, the architecture of Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio was an inspiration to me. Diller + Scofidio had built very little then, but their beautiful drawings and means of presenting them exhibited a clear desire to build. The only constructing they did then was temporary, almost exclusively in theaters and galleries. Even without a building to their name, their first monograph, Flesh: Architectural Probes, was published in 1994 (the butt cheeks on the front and back covers and butt-crack binding set it apart from every other architecture book). A standout project, coming near at the end of the monograph, is the Slow House, which had already brought D+R attention when it won a P/A Award and graced the cover of Progressive Architecture's January 1991 issue (PDF link). Model of Slow House from DS+R website. The Slow House arcs and expands in plan from a single front door to a two-story picture window facing the water (locals referred to it as a banana). Of relevance here is the house's site in North Haven, Long Island, and the view through the picture window of Long Island Sound. The view's importance is accentuated by a second chimney, opposite a functioning chimney, that would have held a video camera framing the water view for the owners to look at while in the house or back in Manhattan. Page 229 in Flesh shows a photograph of the Slow House taking shape, the formwork for its foundation walls and columns ready to be filled with concrete. Alas, that photo captured the furthest extent of construction: the house was a victim of insufficient assets and the early 90s recession, never to be completed. L: Slow House drawing in the collection of MoMA. R: Slow House under construction in 1991. I never knew exactly why the Slow House wasn't completed, but Paul Goldberger reveals some of the story in Blue Dream, writing that "the house was to be funded by the sale of two Cy Twombly drawings." The collapse of the art market kept that from happening, but the importance of Slow House can be found in the Museum of Modern Art's acquisition of the project's drawings and models for its permanent collection. The most iconic piece is a floor plan and series of building sections drawn on a transparent sheet over wood with what appears to be a schmear of joint compound. Moving from the view in the rearview mirror to the view through the picture window, the sections radiate from the floor plan, in a sequence that is logical yet confounding, given how the sections overlap as they increase in height. Most remarkable is the way the drawing implements remain part of the presentation, and how the compass armature is a custom creation, what I see as a clear extension of Diller's education and Scofidio's teaching at Cooper Union. Needless to say, I was chuffed to see the drawing in person back in 2013, when Pedro Gadanho pulled it out of the MoMA archives for Cut 'n' Paste: From Architectural Assemblage to Collage City. Goldberger mentions Slow House in a chapter of Blue Dream that finds Julie and Bobby considering Diller Scofidio + Renfro for their East Hampton house. Charles Renfro, who joined Diller + Scofidio in 1997 and became a name partner in 2004, recounts to Goldberger their initial meeting with Julie at their office, in 2010, when they showed her Slow House "and our small residential oeuvre of mostly unbuilt houses." While hearing "unbuilt" would push most clients to look for another architect, Julie was not a typical client. A few years before the meeting, the Taubmans held an invited design competition, with Thomas Phifer standing out above Shigeru Ban, whose design was "remarkable" but impractical and "more suited to a house in the tropics," and Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, whose design was "more restrained and perhaps less daring than what [Julie] wanted." Phifer sensed that Julie wanted something more sculptural than his first scheme, with three linear pavilions connected by glass-enclosed walkways, so over time it morphed into striking sail-like forms appropriate to its site on the dunes facing the Atlantic. But designing and building a house, architecturally daring or not, is as much about personal relationships as it is about architectural design. Phifer and Julie Taubman "had not connected as closely as [Phifer] wanted his clients to connect," Goldberger explains, and "the immaculate quality of Phifer's architecture was never the right match for Julie's taste." Blue Dream as captured by Iwan Baan. Who was the right architect for Julie's tastes? It was Charles Renfro, who "seemed to connect easily with Julie Taubman in a way that Phifer had not," Goldberger writes. Another reason DS+R got the job was their ability to connect with the precedents Julie was drawn to, namely the houses of John Lautner, Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, and Jacques Couëlle, as well as Frederick Kiesler's iconic, site-less, unbuilt Endless House (also in MoMA's collection). The cave-like qualities of the houses designed by Couëlle and Kiesler appear to have inspired Renfro the most, as Julie selected the "Ravioli" scheme from the four initial concepts the studio generated after their meeting. The others were the "Mobius," the "Roof," and the "Dunes." Any of them would have led to statement house dramatically different from the Hamptons norm, but continuing on the path started by the Ravioli scheme led to the built Blue Dream, a sculptural house unlike another DS+R project, yet one that is hard to see coming from another contemporary architect. Spread from Blue Dream in "Where Modernism Flourished" chapter. By the time we read about the Taubmans selecting DS+R for the commission, we have absorbed much of the house through the numerous full-bleed color photographs by Iwan Baan that sit between early chapters about the Taubman's background and wishes, about the history of modernism on Long Island (this chapter echoes Goldberger's essay in Houses of the Hamptons from 1986), and about the aborted project with Phifer. The chapters that follow move forward in time, tracing the development of its formal design; documenting the efforts to engineer the design and turn it into an actual building; presenting the interior contributions that turned the house into a Gesamtkunstwerk; and revealing the personal issues that make the house as melancholy as it is exuberant. The book has a clear narrative sweep, one that is aided by the coffee table format, with its large paper size, large photos, and the easy integration of images with Goldberger's text. The format, I feel, is appropriate to the house and its circumstances. Even if you're not a fan of Blue Dream (I'm still more partial to the Slow House), it's hard not to get pulled along on the ride of its realization as recounted in these pages. The view from the picture window at Blue Dream, photographed by Iwan Baan.

42 Years of Critical Regionalism
- ucl press
(Covers of some of the books discussed in this post) If your first reaction to the title of this post is something along the lines of, "Wait, isn't critical regionalism just 40 years old?," then everything you think know about critical regionalism is partial, in both senses of the term: incomplete and biased. Yes, Kenneth Frampton's "Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance" was published in Hal Foster's The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture in 1983, exactly 40 years ago, but the term "critical regionalism" was coined two years earlier by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre in their article "The Grid and the Pathway: An Introduction to the Work of Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis" in Architecture in Greece. But as the term took hold in architectural circles that decade, and to a lesser but still lasting degree in the decades since, it has more often been associated with Frampton's essay, even though he acknowledged the earlier essay at the time and that acknowledgment brought Tzonis and Lefaivre a good deal of attention beyond their native Greece. Yet, if critical regionalism is some sort of –ism, then should it be defined by just one critic? Is it unfair, in other words, that Frampton's take should take precedence over Tzonis and Lefaivre's? First thing's first: what is critical regionalism? If we take a step back and look at the more general term "regionalism," the entry for it in the three-volume Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Architecture (2004, edited by R. Stephen Sennott) describes regionalism in architecture as "the desire to shape buildings according to the particular characteristics of a specific place." Further describing it as "the oldest and most pervasive of all building ideas," the entry omits mention of critical regionalism but includes Frampton's essay in its bibliography. Richard Weston, in his excellent introduction to architecture from 2011, 100 Ideas that Changed Architecture, while he doesn't include critical regionalism among the hundred, he describes it in the entry for regionalism like so: "Attempting to come to terms with the ethical dilemmas of practicing in a globalized world, [... Tzonis and Lefaivre] argued that while welcoming the benefits of interaction and exchange, designers should think critically about their impact and value the uniqueness of the local/regional culture, environment, and resources." Furthermore, they "hoped to avoid both the commercialization of 'folk' traditions and their political use — as in Hitler's promotion of volkisch culture — as a means of excluding others." Weston goes on to describe how Frampton took up the couple's approach but "argued for an emphasis on topography, climate, light, and the tactile rather than the visual [...] advocating tectonic rather than scenographic form as exemplary of the approach," as found in the work of Alvar Aalto and Jørn Utzon. In just a few sentences, Weston draws a basic distinction between the concepts of critical regionalism proffered by Tzonis, Lefaivre, and Frampton, namely that the social and political implications of regionalism nullified the concept for Tzonis and Lefaivre, thereby requiring a critical approach to regionalism, while Frampton saw critical regionalism as a valid response to "scenographic form," by which he means the postmodern architecture that was taking hold of the American architecture profession at the time. Although the architecture and ideas influencing Frampton's "Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance" date back to at least the mid-1960s, the direct impetus for his essay was the 1980 Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Paolo Portoghesi with its famous "street," the Strada Novissima. Frampton was invited by Portoghesi, alongside fellow critics Charles Jencks, Christian Norberg-Schultz, and Vincent Scully, to contribute to the inaugural architecture biennale in Venice, but he stepped down, writing in a letter to Robert A. M. Stern (a page of it is shown in OASE #103: Critical Regionalism Revisited) that the exhibition "seems to represent the triumph of Post-Modernism" and that he had already "written a text which is categorically critical of this position." Frampton's letter to Stern was dated May 13, 1980, but the text he mentions he had already written was not "Towards a Critical Regionalism" as it would be found in The Anti-Aesthetic. Most likely it was "The Need for Roots: Venice 1980," which was published in the winter 1981 issue of GA Document. (I have not seen that essay so can't comment on it.) Between the Biennale in 1980 and the release of Foster's collection of postmodern essays, Frampton worked out his concept of critical regionalism, or at least the seeds of the concept can be seen in those years. Modern Architecture and the Critical Present, published by AD in 1982, was basically devoted to his 1980 book Modern Architecture: A Critical History (the fifth edition arrived in 2020), so alongside its other contents it included "Place, Production and Architecture: Towards a Critical Theory of Building," an excerpt of the book's last chapter. It also included "The Isms of Contemporary Architecture," revised to add "Regionalism" as one of the –isms. Although Frampton mentions the thesis of a "hybrid 'world culture'" advanced by philosopher Paul Ricoeur, whose words preface his Anti-Aesthetic essay, and he discusses the work of Aalto, Mario Botta, Alvaro Siza, Gino Valle, and other architects who fit the mold of critical regionalism, the –ism was not yet explicitly "critical." That same year, 1982, Frampton contributed "Proposals for a Critical Regionalism" to Perspecta 20: The Journal of the Yale School of Architecture. Similarities to the essay that will follow in 1983 are found in the Ricoeur quote prefacing the article and a mention of "The Grid and the Pathway." While the "Six Points" essay is abstract, with mention of just two or three architects, the Perspecta article is loaded with buildings and projects that illustrate Frampton's concept. Tadao Ando, J. A. Coderch, Ricardo Bofill, Raimund Abraham, Botta, Valle, and others serve as examples of "recent regional 'schools' whose aim has been to represent and serve, in a critical sense, the limited constituencies in which they are grounded." The essay concludes with mention of "The Grid and the Pathway," but Frampton does not give credit to the authors for coining "critical regionalism," instead using their subjects, Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis, as exemplars of the regional "school" in Greece. Curiously, even though the Perspecta editors give full credit to Tzonis and Lefaivre in the citation to their text, Frampton only mentions Tzonis, referring to "The Grid and the Pathway" as "his article"; this is indicative of the sexism still entrenched at the time but also a lack of understanding of Tzonis and Lefaivre's concept for critical regionalism beyond their 1981 essay. The information described above can be cobbled together from various sources, as cited, as well as from the recently published Kenneth Frampton: Conversations with Daniel Talesnik, in which Frampton is forthcoming about the origins of "Towards a Critical Regionalism" and the debt it owed to Tzonis and Lefaivre. (His recital of the facts to Talesnik makes it seem that it is a story he has told numerous times in the decades since his essay.) But to gain a considerably deeper understanding of the overlapping theories of critical regionalism and their origins, one recently published book is extremely valuable and highly recommended: Resisting Postmodern Architecture: Critical Regionalism before Globalisation by Stylianos Giamarelos, published by UCL Press, 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) There are too many revelations in Giamarelos's history/historiography of critical regionalism, but only enough space here to mention three. First is the role of Robert A. M. Stern in the 1980 Venice Architecture Biennale, The Presence of the Past. Giamarelos describes Stern as "the show's overlooked protagonist [...] historically overshadowed by Portoghesi." Frampton, remember, was invited to participate, but by the time he and the other critics went to Venice, in November 1979, the direction of the exhibition was already determined during a September 1979 meeting where Stern presented his detailed proposal that "practically formed the backbone of the exhibition," per Giamarelos. No wonder most of the architects contributing to the Strada Novissima were from North America rather than Europe or Asia, and no wonder Frampton addressed his resignation letter to Stern. A second revelation is the contribution of Anthony Alofsin, who was a student of Tzonis's in the 1970s, when he was teaching at Ivy League schools in the US. Alofsin is known now for numerous books on Frank Lloyd Wright, but in the 1970s his work as a sculptor and architect in New Mexico "stimulated his interest in the historic processes that lay beneath" the area's historic buildings. He brought this interest in regionalism to Harvard GSD in 1978, where he took courses from Tzonis that "familiarized him with critical theory," per Giamarelos. Alofsin ended up joining Tzonis and Lefaivre on a paper, "The Question of Regionalism," for a conference in 1980 organized by Swiss sociologist Lucius Burckhardt. Alofsin's text submitted to Tzonis, "Constructive Regionalism," served as the basis for the paper, but Tzonis and Lefaivre modified Alofsin's conclusion, introducing the critical regionalism they would expand upon for the Architecture in Greece esssay. (Vincent B. Canizaro's excellent Architectural Regionalism: Collected Writings on Place, Identity, Modernity and Tradition includes Alofsin's original text.) So, while "The Question of Regionalism," when published in 1981, was the first appearance of critical regionalism in print, it was only in German and therefore not cited by Frampton, unlike the bilingual "The Grid and the Pathway." A third illuminating thread of information from the book involves Frampton's proposed 18-book series of "monographs on critical architecture practices of 'unsentimental regionality'" for Rizzoli, who would have published them over a period of two to four years. First proposed at the end of 1981, Frampton moved forward with two titles — on Tadao Ando and Atelier 66, the practice of Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis, published in 1984 and 85, respectively — before Rizzoli discontinued the series. (Such an ambitious, audacious proposal no doubt stemmed from Frampton serving as an acquisitions and editorial consultant at Rizzoli from 1979 to 1988.) Outside of Vittorio Gregotti, whom Frampton would have written about on his own, each book would have been edited by Frampton, included a short introduction by him, and featured a longer essay by an author familiar with their work; naturally, then, Tzonis and Lefaivre contributed to the book on Atelier 66. Giamarelos also discusses the book Frampton started to work about critical regionalism, given that his essay made such an impact in the 1980s that it warranted a book-length exposition. That never happened, but Frampton rolled some of his version of critical regionalism into Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture, an excellent and well-respected book but not one with the lasting impact of the 1983 essay. So, if Frampton did not write the book on critical regionalism, who did, assuming one exists? The first architecture book bearing the critical regionalism moniker was written by none other than Tzonis and Lefaivre. Critical Regionalism: Architecture and Identity in a Globalized World was published in 2003, the third in Prestel's "Architecture in Focus" series, which also included books on "Minimal Architecture" and "Light, Mobile and Floating Architecture." The authors used the book to provide a deeper history of regionalism, tracing it from Ancient Greece to ca. World War II in an essay by Tzonis, and delving into the ideas of Lewis Mumford in an essay by Lefaivre that looked at the three decades after the war. The other half of the book has twenty examples of critical regionalism, mainly in photos, making it as much a picture book as a text of history and theory. Given the impact of critical regionalism on architects — it is one of the few architectural concepts/theories with direct application to professional practice — I wanted to include something on it in Buildings in Print: 100 Influential and Inspiring Illustrated Architecture Books. Although Critical Regionalism is the book I chose, Giamarelos describes their later book, Architecture of Regionalism in the Age of Globalization: Peaks and Valleys in the Flat World (first published in 2011 and expanded in 2020) as the couple's definitive statement on critical regionalism, signaling its greater importance. While this review can only touch on a few points in Resisting Postmodern Architecture: Critical Regionalism Before Globalisation, Giamarelos's goals are two-fold: articulating the formulation of critical regionalism by Tzonis and Lefaivre, since it has long been overshadowed by Frampton's concept; and, in the book's second half, exploring the cross-cultural roots of critical regionalism in Greece, the home of Tzonis, Lefaivre, and their original subjects, Dimitris and Susana Antonakakis. Giamarelos wraps up the book by arguing for the continued relevance of critical regionalism today, shifting it from "an architectural theory of the 1980s into a manifesto for architectural historiography in the 21st century." If architectural historians embrace the seven points of Giamarelos's manifesto remains to be seen, but the value of the history the book tells is abundantly clear, given the lack of a history of critical regionalism before it.

The Latest from MoMA: Emerging Ecologies
- moma
Like many people with a lot of books, I keep track of my library with an app/website, tagging books with keywords to better filter and find them. The tags I use move from general terms like "architecture" (the most) and "fiction" (the least) to specific terms that reflect a high number of books by a particular author ("frampton," as in Kenneth) or maybe about a certain architect ("wright," Frank Lloyd). One of the oft-used tags on the specific end of the spectrum is "moma," which includes books published by the Museum of Modern Art, be it Robert Venturi's Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture or exhibition catalogs, as well as books actually about MoMA, like Terence Riley's The International Style: Exhibition 15 and The Museum of Modern Art. As of today, I have 34 books tagged "moma" in my library, spanning from The International Style in 1932 (the 1990s reprint, mind you, not the first edition) to Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism, the catalog to the exhibition of the same name that opened yesterday at MoMA. In between the books from 1932 and 2023 are catalogs for MoMA exhibitions I attended and wrote about; exhibitions I wish I would have seen in person; and exhibitions, many of them seminal, held well before my time. The value of exhibition catalogs is evident in the latter two: they enable people who did not see an exhibition to be exposed to what the curators put together, often with the added input of scholars on the subject. One could even go further and say the catalogs are more important than the exhibitions themselves, since they have longevity, serving as archives of the exhibitions well after they've been demounted and destroyed. While I don't fully agree with such a statement, since exhibitions benefit from being spatial experiences and often — and increasingly — feature films and other media that can't be replicated in books, the value of catalogs is undeniable. Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism edited by Carson Chan and Matthew Wagstaffe, published by the Museum of Modern Art, September 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) How does Emerging Ecologies compare to previous catalogs from MoMA exhibitions on architecture? Based on my exposure to them, I would group MoMA's architecture catalogs into two broad types: printed companions to the drawings, models, and other artifacts on display in the galleries; and scholarly essays on the exhibition's subject. Often these two strands are combined, with essays prefacing plates of the works on display. But if we go all the way back to MoMA's first architecture exhibition — Modern Architecture: International Exhibition, curated by Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcok in 1932 — we find these two types in two separate publications: a companion catalog (PDF link) and the more familiar, polemical book by Johnson and Hitchcock (sans Lewis Mumford's contribution on housing from the exhibition/catalog) that "defined 'the International Style'" at the time and in the decades to come. Emerging Ecologies, as edited by Carson Chan and Matthew Wagstaffe, falls into the "printed companion" camp. Visitors to Emerging Ecologies between now and its closing on January 24, 2023, will approach the third-floor architecture galleries in one of two ways. Stepping out of an elevator, they will be confronted by a timeline of relevant events and dates for the artifacts in the exhibition, while those arriving via escalators and the bridge next to the atrium will see the yellow wall pictured at the top of this post and then go either left or right into the exhibition's two galleries. The various exhibits are laid out thematically, but when I previewed the exhibition last week, I found the layout and presentation fairly laid back, conducive to a leisurely stroll through the numerous colorful projects comprising "the first expansive survey of the history of environmental thinking in architecture," spanning primarily the 1960s and 70s. The exhibition is also the first from MoMA's Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and the Natural Environment, which was created in 2020 and helmed by Chan the following year. In lieu of a thematic organization following from the layout of the exhibition (e.g., "Prehistory of Environmental Architecture," "Enclosed Ecologies," "Life Forms," etc.) or one following the timeline visitors see by the elevators, the book is in alphabetical order by the names of the architects or other authors of the works in the exhibition (there is an expanded timeline in the back matter). While this results in putting Emilio Ambasz first among the more than thirty names, it more broadly puts an emphasis on the personalities behind environmental thinking, rather than the works themselves. Like other surveys, be they exhibitions or not, the structure allows comparisons to be made based on quantities: the number of pages given to each name helps signal their importance. So who is most important in Emerging Ecologies? No contest it's R. Buckminster Fuller, not only because he earns sixteen pages while most others have four or six, but because the "pathbreaking architect, writer, designer, inventor, and philosopher" (per the book) infiltrates other names in the book. Cambridge Seven Associates built one of Fuller's geodesic domes for Expo 67 and Murphy & Mackey built one at Missouri Botanical Garden; these are just the most direct permutations of Fuller elsewhere in the book. Architecture exhibitions at MoMA are, by virtue of their setting, geared to general audiences. As such, the catalogs are where the curators expend the effort in digging deeper, usually in more scholarly ways. That isn't the case with this "field guide," as Chan and Wagstaffe label it, but that doesn't mean architects and others with prior knowledge of environmentalism in the 1960s and 70s will not find something new, or new perspectives on the subject, in the book. Beyond names like Fuller, there are such groups as the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Warren County Citizens Concerned about PCB that capture today's emphasis on equity and citizen engagement. It's not all hero worship, in other words. For me, a big fan of buildings merging with landscapes, I was pleased to learn about Malcolm Wells, who pivoted his practice from "conventional" to "earth-sheltered," sticking to his beliefs from the mid-1906s to his death in 2009. I was also surprised that I hadn't known about him earlier. Surely, I won't be alone in making such discoveries in Emerging Ecologies, a rich survey of a period with obvious relevance today.

Places in Time II
- blue crow media
- dom publishers
- flanders
Last week dose explored three "places in time": St. Louis in the early decades of the 20th century; Detroit between 1935 and 1985; and Chicago suburb Oak Park ca. 1906, when Frank Lloyd Wright completed Unity Temple. Those three US-centric books were split between two historical surveys and one case study. The same applies to the European/Asian books here, with a survey of brutalist architecture in Paris followed by a survey of Indonesian architecture trained in Germany around 1960 and a case study of a care center for people with mental disabilities in Belgium. Brutalist Paris: Post-War Brutalist Architecture in Paris and Environs by Nigel Green and Robin Wilson, published by Blue Crow Media, July 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek: German-trained Indonesian Architects from the 1960s edited by Moritz Henning and Eduard Kögel, published by DOM Publishers, July 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Living in Monnikenheide: Care, Inclusion and Architecture edited by Gideon Boie, published by Flanders Architecture Institute, April 2023 Before receiving Brutalist Paris from the folks at Blue Crow Media, I thought of the UK company simply as a maker of maps. I reviewed Concrete Map Chicago back in 2018 and since then have noticed them putting out maps of modern architecture, brutalist architecture, public transit — even trees. If the Chicago map is any indication, the others put out by Blue Crow Media excel at assembling a mix of quality buildings and presenting them in a way that allows people to orient themselves to the locations of the selected buildings in a particular city; that's the power of maps: orienting oneself physically, in place, and mentally, at a distance. So I was a bit surprised to find the maps on the inside front and back covers of Brutalist Paris to be, frankly, practically useless. Their scale is too small; the contrast between streets and blocks is too low; it's not clear how the four maps join up; the lists of buildings keyed to the maps do not extend to the book's pages. I could go on, but that's not necessary because this book is not about the maps. Rather it is about the words of Robin Wilson and the photographs of Nigel Green. The maps give some cursory, almost ghostly, geographic information, but they are not there to structure the book. Brutalist Paris features seven essays by Wilson and four geographical sections with Green's photos inserted between the essays. Although the duo collaborates as Photolanguage, words and images are distinct. "Whilst the photographic component provides an extensive, general survey of the production of the period as a whole," Wilson explains in the first essay, "the text necessarily develops a more selective interpretation of a smaller range of key works." Paris does not spring immediately to my mind as the city of brutalist architecture par excellence (that would be London or Boston), but Wilson's words and Green's images do a good job of arguing for the importance of Paris as a brutalist city. Jumping to the fore are not the famous examples (Breuer's UNESCO, Niemeyer's Communist Party HQ, Corbu's Maisons Jaoul) but the complex, fractal-like constructions of Jean Renaudie and Nina Susch, Renée Gailhoustet, and others. Wilson describes "a properly oblique and combinatory architecture" and Green captures the light, scale, and in some cases decay of the complexes. The photos may be just a couple of years old, but the choice of presenting them as duotones helps transport readers to the sixties, seventies, and eighties, when parts of Paris really embraced creative concrete architecture. The next book covers roughly the same timeframe as Brutalist Paris — the few decades following the year 1960 — but in two locales thousands of miles and two continents apart: Indonesia and Germany. The two places don't immediately strike me as intertwined, but editors Moritz Henning and Eduardo Kögel discovered a link between them that is quite interesting: a dozen architecture students from Indonesia who studied at TU Berlin and other schools in West Germany in 1960/61. The editors found out about them while working with the curators of Occupying Modernism, the Indonesian contribution to Encounters with Southeast Asian Modernism, an ambitious, multifaceted program directed by Henning and Kögel with Sally Below and Christian Hiller. (Out of the same program came Contested Modernities: Postcolonial Architecture and the Construction of Identities in Southeast Asia, a publication I "briefed" last year.) Like other parts of Encounters, Dipl.–Ing. Arsitek focuses on cross-cultural cooperation between Southeast Asia and Western Europe, and it even comes across subtly in the book's title, words that are probably enigmatic to English speakers: Dipl.–Ing. Arsitek is the Indonesian equivalent of the German Diplom–Ingenieur Architektur. Dipl.–Ing. Arsitek is number 171 in DOM Publishers' longstanding "Basics" series as evidenced by the square format and orange, geometric cover (like this one). While the subject seems too niche to me to be a "basics" book, the structure and presentation of the book are very clear and well done, aiding in one's understanding of the subject and recognizing its importance. Following spreads of period photographs in West Berlin, Hannover, Aachen, and Jakarta, the book's contents are fitted into five parts: "Context," with a handful of essays give relevant background on Germany and Indonesia in the period of the book; "Diplomas," a presentation of ten of the students' final projects; in-depth "Biographies" of eight of the architects; "Positions," excerpts of a few texts by some of the architects; and contemporary "Photographs" of buildings in Indonesia the architects designed after returning there to practice. So, who are these architects that studied in Germany but took their knowledge back home to Indonesia? Soejoedi Wirjoatmodjo and Han Awal were known by the editors beforehand, but the rest (Herianto Sulindro, Jan Beng Oei, Mustafa Pamuntjak, Bianpoen, Suwondo Bismo Sutedjo, Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya) were primarily discovered in the archives of TU Berlin, which kept their drawings, model photographs, and even some of the models. I can't think of a better arguments for architecture schools — and the future architects attending them — to carefully document their thesis projects and maintain them in archives. The third place-in-time book, Living in Monnikenheide, heads to Zoersel, in Belgium, and jumps forward in time to near the present. The book's subject, Monnikenheide, is a residential care center for people with mental disabilities that was created around 1973 and has seen more than a dozen buildings added to its "campus" in the half-century since. I had never heard of the place — neither Monnikenheide nor Zoersel, the Flemish village now home to around 22,000 people — so reading some of the essays and perusing the case studies of the buildings were acts of discovery. Gideon Boie, the book's editor and instigator of the book project, describes Monnikenheide as "an unprecedented housing project" that "searched for the normalization of housing for people with mental disabilities" and, in wording that echoes recent trends in architectural culture, "a testing ground for care architecture." The book's subtitle, Care, Inclusion and Architecture, sets up the half-dozen essays that carry the titles "Living with Disability," "At Home in the Care Centre," and "Caring for the Landscape of Care," among others. The essays capably address the myriad issues around the place, from its niche typology to the politics of "inclusion" and the important role of the beautiful wooded landscape connecting the various buildings. The bulk of the book — 70 of its 160 pages — is devoted to the case studies of the buildings, primarily the ones built between 1997 and 2021; the early, "first-period" (of three periods, per Boie) buildings are just described briefly at the beginning of this long section. Architecturally, the buildings range from somewhat typical modern Belgian brick dwellings to low-slung glass-walled updates to older buildings, pitched-roof care homes clad in corrugated metal, and a three-story care home covered in blackened wood. While each building is pleasing in one way or another, Monnikenheide is not about any individual building: it is about the interaction of the buildings with each other and the landscapes between them and, in the case of the brick dwellings in the village, the logical extension of "inclusion" to a context more urban than pastoral. Full-bleed photographs between the different sections of the book do a decent job in capturing the character of the landscape and the village; I say "decent" because their silver duotones, akin to the cover, are more aesthetic than informative. But in concert with the essays, case studies, and the book's design, the photos contribute well to a beautiful document of a special place that architects interested in this facet of care will find valuable.

Places in Time I
- visual profile books
Like most human beings, I can be contradictory at times. One area where this manifests is architectural surveys: books that usually collect buildings of a certain typology, but also ones spanning a particular timeframe or through some other theme. I've written a few of them myself, so I don't inherently hate them. But I tend to pass on them when it comes to new books, which most likely boils down to the fact I'm not a practicing architect and therefore don't need to look at, say, a roundup of libraries when I'm designing one. Yet, when it comes to old surveys — as in my latest #archidosereads — I have a hard time saying no to them after spotting them in used bookstores. I think part of their appeal is the way they capture the character of a certain time, and often, with the occasional geographical focus of surveys, a particular place in time. Being seen decades after they were made, the best ones manage to transport me back to a certain place in time — something I find irresistible, even if subconsciously, before putting it down in words here. A book need not be old to do such a thing, so this week and next week I'm featuring books that manage to capture certain places at certain times. The six books aren't all surveys, but the majority of them do fall into that subcategory of architectural books. Following the three US-central books here, next week's installment will head to Europe and Asia. Detroit Modern: 1935–1985 by Peter Forguson, photography by Amy Claeys, published by Visual Profile Books, November 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple: A Good Time Place Reborn by Pat Cannon, photography by James Caulfield, published by Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, December 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes by Nancy Moore Hamilton, published by Missouri Historical Society, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In its geography and name, Detroit Modern sounds like a sequel to Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy, the 2018 book written by preservationist Brian D. Conway with photographs by James Haefner, also published by Visual Profile Books. But they are two different beasts, given that the earlier book was the product of the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, which received a grant from the National Park Service for the project, while the nearly one-year-old Detroit Modern was written by Peter Forguson, a landscape designer and landscaping contractor who has worked on the grounds of some of the 70 houses collected in his book. Forguson's book, in turn, is a labor of love, one that draws attention to an overlooked geographical subset of mid-20th-century modern residential architecture, something Michigan Modern similarly did for a wider array of building typologies on a larger geographical scale. The 70 houses spanning 50 years were designed by names both familiar and lesser known: from Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Minoru Yamasaki, Edward Durell Stone, and Gunnar Birkets among the former, to Irving Tobocman, Don Paul Young, Louis DesRosiers, and Robert L. Ziegelman in the latter. While those last four names, among numerous others in the book, are new to me, they may be fairly well-known names in the larger Detroit area (the book is more Grosse Pointe Farms and Bloomfield Hills that Detroit proper, it should be noted), given that they designed roughly 20 of the book's 70 houses. This book will no doubt appeal to locals interested in mid-20th-century houses, but it should also appeal to people living outside the Detroit area who like the same. It should be pointed out that although photographer Amy Claeys is billed as photographer, many of the houses feature photographs by others, including Haefner and occasional period photographs by the great Balthazar Korab. As such, the book doesn't have the visual consistency of Michigan Modern (it's also lacking in floor plans, valuable elements in any good book on residential architecture), but the book's ability to capture the high-quality architecture created in a place over a fairly long time period makes it a valuable document. The buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright, unlike the houses of suburban Detroit, don't need to worry about being overlooked. There are more than 400 extant buildings designed by Wright, and although only a small number of them are considered masterpieces, that number is higher than most — save perhaps Le Corbusier. One way of quantifying greatness is via UNESCO, which put 17 Corbu sites on its 2016 list but only eight Wright buildings on a similar list a few years later. One of those eight is Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois, the Chicago suburb home to Wright at the time; ground broke on the building in 1906 and it was dedicated in 1909, the same year Wright left for Europe to work on the Wasmuth Portfolio. Given the importance of Unity Temple in Wright's oeuvre, it made sense that Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple: A Good Time Place, a celebration of the edifice, was released in 2009. Although restoration plans, led by T. Gunny Harboe, began around 2006, the "award-winning transformative restoration" would not be complete until 2017, twelve years after the building celebrated its centennial. With Unity Temple carefully restored and open to the public for about five years, the time was right to update the 2009 book by Patrick F. Cannon with photographer James Caulfield. I have not seen the earlier book, but it appears to be a square book of approximately nine inches, whereas the newly "reborn" book taking on a larger page size — nearly 10 x 12 inches. The slim, 120-page book has a brief history of the commission, its design and its construction, at the beginning, with a text by Harboe on the restoration, a selective bibliography (including Robert McCarter's 1997 case study from the "Architecture in Detail" series), and some texts from ca. 1909 in the back matter. In between are approximately 75 pages of photographs by Caulfield. Unfortunately, what should be the best part of the book — post-restoration photographs of Unity Temple's exterior and interior — is the most disappointing. Without knowing the details, Caulfield appears to have a preference for HDR photography, which makes the concrete building look like a computer model on the outside and too evenly illuminated on the inside. Only in the photos where Caulfield lets shadows be dark (the cover photo being one of those) can readers fully appreciate what Wright accomplished more than a century ago. I'm from suburban Chicago so am quite familiar with the numerous Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Oak Park. But even though my wife hails from St. Louis, and therefore I've been there quite a few times and have seen firsthand various parts of the city and county, I was not previously familiar with Alexander August Fischer, the subject of this hefty book by his inadvertent biographer, Nancy Moore Hamilton. I say inadvertent because in retirement Hamilton, a longtime resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and former geographer and data analyst who had spent just one year of her life in St. Louis, found herself drawn to St. Louis and the streetscapes built by A. A. Fischer. As the photos on the cover of the book (some of many in the book shot by photographer Reed R. Ratcliffe in 2022) attest, the streetscapes of Fischer are a pleasing lot — or, at least the ones that have survived intact to 2022, a century or more after they were created, are. After all, when I think of the streetscapes of St. Louis, what comes to mind are vacant lots and vacant or condemned buildings being just as numerous on any block as extant and/or occupied buildings, such is the unfortunate present of the Midwestern city. Hamilton's large book published by the Missouri Historical Society is like two books in one: a biography of Fischer and a directory of the many buildings by Fischer's company. Following Hamilton's semi-autobiographical introduction, which goes into some detail on how she ended up spending close to two decades focused on the subject of Fischer and his buildings, is the biography: four chronological chapters on Fischer's life, from his German ancestors to his death (in 1936 at the age of 70) and legacy. The subject may only seem appealing to residents of St. Louis, but it is a lavishly illustrated biography, with numerous large photographs by Ratcliffe as well as archival photographs and other documents. At just 120 pages and accompanied by the illustrations, the biography is a fairly quick read. The bulk of the book follows: the 340-page "Directory of A. A. Fischer Builds" that methodically presents one building per page with data and illustrations. It doesn't matter if a building was razed, it is given a page and indicated as such. While extant buildings receive photos by Radcliffe, buildings long-gone have older photographs or just maps. And speaking of maps, the book is accompanied by a foldout poster that locates every building in the book — very helpful. The pros of the book are obvious, mainly that Hamilton fills a void in the scholarship of the built environment in St. Louis. A. A. Fischer was a prolific builder of residential buildings across the city in the first decades of the 20th century, though his impact was basically unheralded. In this sense, the book is more than welcome. My only con with the book is its hefty format. With a 10 x 12" paper size and nearly 2" thick, it is a large, unwieldy book. The pages are nearly full in the biography, but the photos in the directly are small and the margins across those same pages are large. With the layout of the directory apparently sized to entries with the most available information, most of the these pages are therefore empty space. I feel that either the photos should have been larger across the directory pages, or the whole book should have opted for a smaller page size. Of course, the latter would make the book a less impressive object — one that wouldn't have immediately conveyed the size of Fischer's contributions to St. Louis.

Four Monographs
- actar
- routledge
- tc-cuadernos
- thames hudson
Of the numerous books publishers send me for review — be they requested by me, pitched by them, or arriving at my doorstep unsolicited — the highest percentage of them are monographs. This fact goes against the occasional sirens over the irrelevance and anachronistic nature of monographs in our digital age, with free access (for now) to voluminous amounts of information on buildings and architects readily available online. But books, in my opinion, are better archives than websites, offering architects a further level of control over the finished product compared to websites. It's not uncommon today to find architecture firms, no doubt driven by savvy marketing departments and PR firms, merging their brands across platforms, such that their monographs resemble their websites. But in five or ten years time, only the books will retain that expression, thereby making them important archives of architects' work and the means of presenting it. The four recently published monographs that follow provide four diverse expressions for architectural monographs today. Speculative Coolness: Architecture, Media, the Real, and the Virtual by Bryan Cantley, edited by Peter J. Baldwin, published by Routledge, April 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Merging City and Nature: 30 Commitments to Combat Climate Change by Batlleiroig, published by Actar Publishers, March 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) I'm not sure when I came across the architecture of Bryan Cantley, but for sure it was through his popular Instagram account — with nearly 30,000 followers now, at least it is popular by architecture standards. The images saturating his account transport me to my undergrad days in the early 1990s, when Neil Denari, Peter Pfau and Wes Jones, and other machine-minded architects were in vogue. Building; Machines, the twelfth issue of Pamphlet Architecture, was the bible of this strain of contemporary architecture, where structure and services were exposed, elements moved (or at least appeared to do so), and surfaces (almost always metallic) featured curves that echoed the form of concrete mixer trucks. I figured I wasn't alone in connecting those aesthetic dots, but I also assumed such a reading was overly superficial and potentially unfair toward whatever Cantley is doing through his designs and illustrations. Neil Spiller actually mentions Neil Denari and Wes Jones in his introductory essay to Speculative Coolness, but only briefly, lumping them with a wider swath of visionaries ("the Wright brothers, Barnes Wallace, Archigram, Norman Foster and Richard Rogers") and stating that "nowadays these preoccupations have their epicenter in SoCaL." Cantley is a professor at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and has taught at SCI-Arc and Woodbury University, all SoCal schools, though his bio at the start of the book also points out that "his work is in the permanent collection at SFMOMA, as well as in the personal collection of Thom Mayne." If such "preoccupations" have their epicenter in and around Los Angeles now, they did so thirty years ago, too, when Denari, Jones, etc. taught and practiced there. This network with shared interests and formal similarities is accentuated by Wes Jones's essay in the pages of Speculative Coolness and Mayne's afterword in the same. A major thing separating the work of Denari and Jones with that of Cantley is the brief, or program, or whatever one wants to call it. Although much of the machine-inspired architecture of the nineties remained on paper or in model form, the projects were clearly proposals to be built, be it an unlikely monastery, a more reasonable house or apartment building, or most obviously an industrial structure (an example of the last, by Holt Hinshaw Jones, was built at UCLA in 1994). But it's difficult to grasp what Cantley's projects might function as if they are considered as models for actual buildings, or if they were designed in response to particular briefs, for instance in the way Brodsky and Utkin created designs for competitions but hardly ever had them approach being recognizable buildings. But do I care if Cantley's designs are speculative, self-generated programs rather than proposals for specific briefs from others? Do I care if I grasp his intentions, further obscured by the texts accompanying the images? Well, frankly, no. His projects, as rendered in sketches, drawings, models, perspectives, and collages, are just too beautiful. No wonder his website sells prints of his architectural imagery — and no wonder this monograph is saturated with the same, sure to woo architects and architecture students too young to remember the nineties. Half a world away from Southern California is the equally warm-and-dry region of Catalonia and the metropolis of Barcelona, where the multi-disciplinary firm Batlleiroig, founded by Enric Batlle and Joan Roig in 1981, is located. Forty years is a long time for an architecture firm, and across those years Batlleiroig has realized many projects spanning multiple disciplines: architecture, landscape, and planning. Those same disciplines structure the book, which features ten chapters with three projects per chapter — one planning project, one landscape, and one building per chapter. But let's not call them chapters: Batlle describes them as "ten concepts that we believe must be incorporated into our daily lives to combat the climate emergency and improve living conditions on the planet." 10 x 3 = 30, hence the thirty projects presented in Merging City and Nature are also "30 commitments to combat climate change." Over Batlleiroig's 40-plus years, the firm has grown to 140 people, making them a large firm in any of their three disciplines. Such size often means, at least in terms of architectural monographs, a business-like approach over an artistic one. This approach is definitely on display in Merging City and Nature, from the 10x3 structure and the descriptions of the projects/commitments (more bullet points than narratives) to the design and layout of the book, which resembles a textbook at times. Structure trumps reality, such that even though the firm has fifteen times more architects than planners and twice as many architects as landscape architects (as expressed in a bubble diagram at the back of the book), there are ten projects presented for each discipline. I would have loved to see more landscapes, which are the strongest parts of Batlleiroig's output (the Garraf Controlled Waste Landfill project is one of many highlights). As is, the book's rigid structure enables the firm to show how each of their disciplines addresses each of the ten concepts: commendable from a marketing perspective but dry and fatiguing for anyone looking for inspiration. So, if you're looking for a practical book loaded with well-designed examples of how architects and planners can address the climate emergency, Merging City and Nature is the book for you. Allied Works Architecture 2003- 2022 (TC 156) by Brad Cloepfil and Allied Works, published by TC Cuadernos, July 2022 (Amazon) Skylab: The Nature of Buildings by Skylab and Jeff Kovel, published by Thames & Hudson, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Often my excitement with learning about an architectural imprint is tempered by the fact I didn't know about it sooner. How did Valencia's TC Cuadernos put out dozens and dozens of monographic issues on contemporary architects in and beyond Spain before Allied Works sent me number 156 without me knowing about them? Am I that out of touch with European architectural publications? Or are there just too many to keep track of? The quality of the issue devoted to about twenty years of Allied Works' buildings is exemplary, indicating that the wider TC Cuadernos oeuvre melds the qualities of, say, El Croquis with Detail: offering color photographs on high-quality paper accompanied by detailed architectural drawings. (That said, I do wish the font for the project descriptions and essays was easier to read and that all the drawings were labeled, not just the wall sections — reading floor plans without labels is not very helpful.) Allied Works Architecture 2003- 2022 is the first expansive monograph on Allied Works since Occupation, the 2011 release covering the first sixteen years of the studio founded by Brad Cloepfil in Portland, Oregon, in 1994. I have not seen that earlier monograph, but the level of control I mentioned in the prologue to this post is naturally eschewed in the new book (essentially a periodical), in terms of page design and the couple of things I quibbled about above. Still, for the most part it is an Allied Works product, with the drawings, models, photographs, and text provided by the studio. Most refreshing is the span of the book, with fourteen completed buildings over nearly twenty years presented; it even includes Cloepfil's fairly well-known early essay/project "Sitings: Five Reflections on Architectural Domain" (PDF link), which functioned as a statement of intent when he founded his firm now nearly thirty years ago. Back in 2017, I attended the Vectorworks Design Summit in Baltimore, where Cloepfil gave the keynote and I was able to speak with him one-on-one after his presentation for an article at World-Architects. Before that talk, the projects I was most familiar with were the Maryhill Overlook (1998), the Wieden+Kennedy Headquarters (2000), the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2003), and the Clyfford Still Museum (2011). These four projects are thoroughly orthogonal buildings, but the projects he presented in Baltimore, such as the National Music Centre of Canada (2016) and National Veterans Memorial and Museum (2018), are dramatic departures from the apparent norm: curved and spatially complex constructions that see Cloepfil and Allied Works apparently striving to create architectural icons. Not surprisingly, these last two projects are found at the beginning of TC 156, signaling their importance in this phase of Cloepfil's career and the output of his studio. The diversity of Allied Works' designs can be seen in the other cultural, residential, and commercial projects that fill the monograph, including the issue's closer: Providence Park Stadium Expansion (2019), a project that hardly screams "Allied Works" but exhibits the studio's attentiveness to form, material, and structure — especially as presented in the pages of TC 156. Also based in Portland, Skylab was founded by Jeff Koval in 2000 — more than twenty years ago, meaning it was about time for the firm to produce its first monograph. Although Skylab is best known for a series of projects with Nike — especially the Serena Williams Building (2021) and a temporary installation for the shoe brand at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials for Track & Field — the format of the book reflects the music business: The square book features foldout cover boards, a circular cutout and "parental advisory" sticker on the cover, multiple large double-fold gatefolds, and "sides" rather than chapters (Side-A, Side-B, etc.). There isn't even a table of contents, something that makes flipping through the book a voyage of discovery, much like dropping a needle on an album, putting on headphones, and listening deeply. From the photographs of the ten presented buildings under construction to photographs of them completed and everything in between, there is an almost rock n' roll aesthetic suffusing Skylab — a certain coolness that makes the LP format appropriate, if a bit quizzical at times. (If taken to its logical conclusion, wouldn't each "side" be the same length, instead of just 12 pages for Side A, for instance, versus 130 pages for Side B?) One can easily flip through The Nature of Buildings without any awareness of the LP metaphor and gain just as much understanding of Skylab's work: digesting the projects through images layered with green text and drawings; relishing the surprise each gatefold elicits; and reading the trio of conversations between Kovel and others, including clients. The latter are presented sideways on the page, a bit like liner notes, I assume, though they can also be seen just as readily as print elements meant to stand out from the projects that are right side up throughout the book. Like fellow Portlanders Allied Works, the portfolio of Skylab is formally and typologically diverse. Kovel and company's projects might not be as geographically widespread as Cloepfil's, with most of Skylab projects keeping Portland weird, but with commissions in Utah and Idaho they're gaining in popularity beyond their local following.

Summer in the City
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From the middle of March, when a family emergency put this blog on hiatus, until the middle of July, when a funeral mass was held for my dad, my life was split almost evenly between my home in New York City and my parent's home in Central Florida. The emergency in March was an incident putting my father in the hospital, and it was followed by numerous diagnoses, the need for him to go into assisted living, and eventually him going back into the hospital, where he died — peacefully, with me, my mother, and my sister at his bedside. Back in March I anticipated, even with his diagnoses, to be helping him in various capacities for a few years, not just a few months. They were difficult and taxing months that found me as relieved as saddened when he passed; the obvious pain and frustration he felt are gone, but memories of him remain and in some ways are stronger and more prevalent now than before. Over those three months, I managed to eke out a half-dozen posts on this blog: a roundup of some books published during the first part of this year; some thoughts on the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, which I managed to attend between trips; a couple work-related posts, one on self-publishing by architecture firms and the other featuring books from my trip to the Venice Architecture Biennale; a "cheater" revisiting an old post as an excuse to explore ChatGPT; and my first installment of "Book Briefs" this calendar year. That sporadic frequency will continue for the rest of the summer, as I take time to do things with my wife and daughter and just generally decompress. But one thing the last three months did, in the context of this first blog post in six weeks, was push me toward a local focus. So here I present two books on the phenomenon of supertall residential towers, the most high-profile ones found along 57th Street, aka "Billionaires' Row." Billionaires’ Row: Tycoons, High Rollers, and the Epic Race To Build the World’s Most Exclusive Skyscrapers by Katherine Clarke, published by Currency, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Sky-High: A Critique of NYC's Supertall Towers from Top to Bottom by Eric P. Nash, photography by Bruce Katz, published by Princeton Architectural Press, June 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) In the prologue to Billionaires' Row, Wall Street Journal reporter Katherine Clarke describes the construction of 40 Wall Street, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building nearly a full century ago as "a veritable race to the sky as wealthy titans of industry vied to build a succession of towers, each taller than the last." (It's a race recounted by Neal Bascomb in Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City back in 2003.) The brief historical anecdote gives the new book an angle, one expressed clearly in its subtitle. Yet I have a hard time buying that the developers of One57 (Gary Barnett/Extell), 432 Park Avenue (Harry Macklowe and CIM Group), 111 West 57th Street (Michael Stern/JDS), 220 Central Park South (Steve Roth/Vornado), and Central Park Tower (also Barnett/Extell) were involved in any sort of race, figurative or otherwise. I've been paying attention to this handful of buildings along Billionaires' Row as long as Clarke has, though not nearly to the same in-depth and insider degree as her, I'll admit, yet I still struggle to find a correlation between these towers and the Manhattan office buildings from the 1920s and 30s. Yes, there is synergy in that each grouping was born from the circumstances of the time (architectural, technological, economic, etc.), but the only "race" I find now is not between the developers themselves, but between the developers and the market — the developers had to quickly sell their eight- and nine-digit aeries before the market for them dried up. If anything, the assemblage of these five towers sitting mainly along 57th Street, a wide street they exploited for unused FAR (floor-area ratio) and reshaped in the process, are less an example of competition and more so an instance of geographical synergy, like a row of car dealers along a busy thoroughfare. People looking for a behind-the-scenes look at the development of these Billionaires' Row towers will be very happy with Clarke's book. The focus is squarely on the four men listed above, the developers behind the five towers. Readers will learn a little bit about the architecture, interior design, engineering and other physical attributes of the towers, but they will learn a lot more about the legal and economic means of how each individual tower happened, as well as the personalities of those men and the people they had relationships with, both business and personal. I have given walking tours of 57th Street and other parts of the city where luxury residential towers are in abundance, and while I tend to focus on aspects of architecture, engineering, and zoning, I never forget to mention how much celebrities and other high-worth people pay for the units; slenderness ratio is exciting to some, but the most audible gasps come from patrons hearing about condos selling for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Similarly, Clarke knows her audience; she is attuned to the public's interest in money — plus how much people love to hear about bad things happening to rich people. So the book, a chronological account spanning just over a decade, has plenty of information on the money problems, leaks and creaks, lawsuits, and personal squabbles playing out over that time. If you like hearing that sort of thing, you'll love this book. Although I found Billionaires' Row at a used bookstore a few weeks ago, it was released just last month, exactly two weeks before Sky-High, by former New York Times writer Eric P. Nash. Was there a publishing race to get the first book about Manhattan's supertall towers for the super rich in print? I doubt it, especially since Nash's book has a wider scope than Clarke's, and his book is as much about the photographs by Bruce Katz as it is Nash's critical takes on a dozen 300-meter-plus towers, residential and otherwise, in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Also, the two books lag two years behind Andi Schmied's wonderful and artsy Private Views: A High-Rise Panorama of Manhattan (VI PER Gallery, 2021), arguably the first book on the phenomenon. Last year, well before it was published, an editor at Princeton Architecture Press sent me a preview of Sky-High for a potential blurb on the cover. It wasn't used (the book ended up without any blurbs), but this is what I wrote: "I don't know whether to join Eric P. Nash's fact-filled, opinion-laden chorus and decry some of the dozen supertalls that have reconfigured New York City’s skyline this century, or adore them all through Bruce Katz's loving wide-angle lens. All I know for sure is that this is a much-needed book." Now seeing the book in print, sent to me recently by the publisher, I stand by my statement and its implication that it's nigh impossible to reach any conclusions on the phenomenon of NYC skyscrapers this century when imbibing critical takes, mainly of the aesthetic variety, joined by architectural photography presenting the buildings in the best possible manner. No wonder the back-cover description calls it "part architectural guidebook and part critique." Nash's thirteen numbered chapters are grouped in three parts — "A Short History of the Tall Building in New York City," "Supertalls," and "Is Bigger Better?" — with Katz's documentation of the dozen towers inserted as project spreads with black backgrounds. The latter would seem to demarcate photo contributions from text, but more of Katz's photographs are provided alongside Nash's text, making the book more visual than textual. As such, the tug of war between verbal critique and visual praise is near constant. Unfortunately, in the last part of the book, when Nash states that "the real question skyscrapers of any height pose is [...] how they impact the quality of street life," very few photos of that condition, where a skyscraper meets the sidewalk, are provided — and we only see the good examples, including the pedestrian plaza next to One Vanderbilt. Perhaps this dearth is due to timing (the retail at the base of 111 West 57th is still empty, for instance, while its residential entrance on 58th Street sits behind scaffolding), but perhaps it's an inadvertent commentary on the fact these towers contribute very little to the quality of street life. Yes, 432 Park Avenue has a nice POPS between the tower and its detached retail component, but 220 Central Park South puts a private drop-off along 58th Street, opposite where Central Park Tower has an entrance to the pricey Nordstrom department store. Most of these Billionaires' Row towers put their loading docks along narrow 58th Street, but photos similar to those I captured recently would stand out like proverbial sore thumbs in this book. Instead, Nash references Edward Soja, Rebecca Solnit, Shoshna Zuboff, and Henri Lefebvre in a chapter in part three, when he quotes Elizabeth Diller, architect of the near-supertall at 15 Hudson Yards, as saying skyscrapers like 432 Park Avenue and 111 West 57th Street "damage the city fabric." If they do, visual evidence of it is hard to find in Sky-High.

Book Briefs #49
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The most recent numbered installment of "Book Briefs," the series of occasional posts featuring short first-hand descriptions of some of the numerous books that publishers send to me for consideration on this blog, was #48, back in December. I wasn't planning on continuing the series this year-of-doing-things-differently (or so I thought), but a couple of weeks ago I brought back the "Briefs" to play around with ChatGPT, which I had been hesitant to dive into but was told by numerous people that I MUST try it. At that time I also mentioned an in-progress "Brief" with eight books — here they are. Concrete in Switzerland: Histories from the Recent Past edited by Salvatore Aprea, Nicola Navone, Laurent Stalder and Sarah Nichols, published by EPFL Press in May 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Concrete in Switzerland is a companion publication to Beton, the exhibition held at S AM (Swiss Architecture Museum) in Basel from November 2021 to April 2022. In addition to the involvement of S AM, both the exhibition and the book boast three partners: the gta Archiv, ETH Zürich; the Archives de la construction moderne, EPF Lausanne (EPFL); and Archivio del Moderno dell’Academia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). The editors from each of these three institutions — Salvatore Aprea (ETH), Nicola Navone (USI), and Laurent Stalder (EPFL) — also contributed one essay each among the book's thirteen essays: Aprea's contribution is about the famous Hennebique System; Navone's focuses, appropriately, on reinforced concrete architecture in Ticino; and Stalder traces about a century of technology's role in the Swiss pastoral, moving from Bruno Taut's Alpine Architecture to near the present day. Appropriately, Stalder's essay is first in the book, effectively serving as an overview or appetizer, if you will, for the essays that take deeper dives into individual subjects. Some standouts include: Silvia Berger Ziauddin's take on concrete bunkers, reminding me of my visit to Sasso San Gottardo; Lorenzo Stieger's essay on terraced hillside housing; Giulia Marino's presentation of the IGECO heavy prefabrication system; and Roberto Gargiani's piece on concrete in the early works of Herzog & de Meuron. This being a companion to an exhibition, the essays comprise about two-thirds of the book, the remainder filled by a lengthy visual essay, "Concrete Stories," by Sarah Nichols, curator of Beton. Her nearly 100-page contribution is broken down into shorter sections with such names as "Concrete is Rock," "Concrete is Energy," and "Concrete is Immaterial." The last shows how ideas around concrete are as important as the physical material itself. Urban Design in the 20th Century: A History by Tom Avermaete and Janina Gosseye, published by gta Verlag in January 2021 (Amazon) In its selection of Urban Design in the 20th Century as one of the ten recipients of a 2022 DAM Architectural Book Award, the jury described the book as "a handy and extensive" publication that is "an exciting, informative, and likewise uncluttered read, giving the complex mass of material a good structure and making it easy to consume." That is an apt description for the 100-plus urban design projects described through hundreds of illustrations across nine chapters spanning 440 pages. Organization is paramount, from the chronological-thematic structure of the chapters to the layout of said images (on black pages) and text (on white). Born from a course in urban design history taught by the authors at ETH Zurich, the book traces a history along the lines of what has been covered before (e.g., the books of Peter Hall and David Grahame Shane) but occasionally broadens the scope beyond a European center, and does it in a way that is appealing for students today: lots of images, large text, and bite-sized (sub)chapters. Today, one might expect a more culturally relevant take on the subject, but the authors point out in the book's coda that most developments in urban design the 20th century were "informed by a European point of view" and that telling a more global history would "undermine current attempts to decolonize history." The last point hints at some forthcoming scholarship that should flesh out histories like this one, presenting alternatives to familiar European perspectives. Modern Architecture in Japan by Manfredo Tafuri, edited by Mohsen Mostafavi, published by MACK in October 2022 (Amazon) Even though, as my collection of books has grown, my appetite for first editions has increased, I still have a soft spot for reprints. (It was one of the likes in my Valentine to architecture books, after all.) They allow hard-to-find, often prohibitively expensive books to be readily available once again and appreciated by new generations of audiences. Even if the ideas in an old book are dated, decisions regarding what merits reprinting point to some renewed interest in a subject or an author's take on a subject, among other things. A few months ago I happened upon a 1982 reprint of Ralph Adams Cram's Impressions of Japanese Architecture and the Allied Arts, first published in 1905 then revised in 1930; I had never heard of the book, but the fact it was reprinted and was relatively cheap led me to buy it. It has a little bit of overlap with one of the fall 2022 books MACK sent me, a handsome reprint of Manfredo Tafuri's Modern Architecture in Japan from 1964. The differences between the two books are as great as their similarities: Both are outsiders' views of Japan (Cram from the US, Tafuri from Italy), but the ensuing changes in the half-century between books meant Tafuri focused on modern architecture over Cram's exploration of temples, shrines, and other creations from previous centuries. (Only in the brief conclusion does Cram jump to the present and Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel and the influence of European architecture on Japan.) Although Cram based his book, as the name indicates, on travels to Japan, curiously, when Tafuri wrote his guide to the country's modern architecture at the age of just 29, he had never even been to Japan! But the biggest difference, at least in terms of the reprints themselves, is that Tafuri's book was originally released in Italian, so the book put out by MACK is notable as the first English translation of his armchair guidebook. The nearly 60-year lag between original and translation means its importance is minor relative to Architecture and Utopia (just six years between the 1973 Italian original and English translation in 1979) or even Theories and History of Architecture (twelve years: 1968 and 1980). Still, Mohsen Mostafavi's preface argues for the relevance of Tafuri's book today "despite its reliance on secondary sources and its occasional inaccuracies," while a handful of essays following Tafuri's text put it in a greater context. A most interesting take is Tafuri writing the book as much to influence contemporary architecture in Italy as to understand it in Japan. Modern Architecture in Japan was part of a series edited by Leonardo Benevolo, in which other architects and writers wrote about the Soviet Union, Great Britain, Brazil, and a few European countries. I can't help but wonder if those books will find their way into English, or if Tafuri's book, thanks to the longevity of his name, will be the only one meriting a reprint. The Pliable Plane: The Wall as Surface in Sculpture and Architecture, 1945–75 by Penelope Curtis, published by MACK in October 2022 (Amazon) Just as MACK's translated reprint of Tafuri's book reminded me of an older book on Japan, the subject of Penelope Curtis's The Pliable Plane — the manipulation of the wall surface bridging art and architecture in the decades after WWII — made me think of another old book: Paul F. Damaz's Art in Latin American Architecture. I became aware of the 1963 book when writing 100 Years, 100 Buildings, using it as a reference on two of the buildings: Oscar Niemeyer's Saint Francis of Assisi Church at Pampulha (1947) and University City of Caracas by Carlos Raúl Villanueva (1953). Niemeyer actually wrote a preface for Damaz's book, and no wonder, considering the author called his church "the best instance of collaboration between an architect and artists"; the expressive azulejo artwork on the street facade is the most famous instance of many artistic contributions integrated with the church, outside and in. Are these or other examples of wall-heavy art in Damaz's survey also found in Curtis's book? Not that I could see. Her short yet very interesting book is limited to European and US examples, with an abundance of Henry Moore — no surprise, given her former role as director of the Henry Moore Institute. While some of the projects are very well known, Curtis examines them in atypical ways. Paul Rudolph's A&A Building at Yale (now Rudolph Hall), for instance, is bound to come to any architect's mind when considering wall surfaces, but Curtis focuses on the lesser-known sculptural plaster casts from classical architecture integrated into the hammered corduroy concrete walls. Part of the joy in the book, at least for me, was discovering previously unknown projects, a standout being the Mausoleum Fosse Ardeatine (1949) in Rome. Foundations of Urban Design by Marcel Smets, published by Actar Publishers in January 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) The latest by Marcel Smets, whom I know of as the author, with Kelly Shannon, of the excellent The Landscape of Contemporary Infrastructure, is a short book with short texts that aim to "open up the core ideas of urban design to the wider public." The Foundations of the title are 29 numbered chapters (F01–F29) that consist of apparently oppositional yet complementary pairs that touch on organizational strategies (Ribbon/Cluster, Ladder/Star), urban spaces (Market Square/Parade Ground, Hole/Void), circulation corridors (Street/Road, Path/Avenue), waterways (Brook/Detch, River, Canal), and other less formal aspects of urban design (Use/Morphology, Creator/Curator), among other things. The short texts (none appeared to be more than four pages) are accompanied by pairs of images that capture the essence of Smets's lessons. Given the intended audience, the text is far from challenging and is further leavened by the illustrations, though I wouldn't go so far to say it's a stimulating read. Still, the book is a good introduction to urban design for students — and that wider public curious about the field. Spatial Infrastructure: Essays on Architectural Thinking as a Form of Knowledge by José Aragüez, published by Actar Publishers and Public Space in January 2023 (Amazon / Bookshop) Back in 2016, José Aragüez's The Building was released. I never saw the book back then, but I recently picked it up and, despite its occasional academic abstruseness, really like the collection of 43 brief, three-page theoretical takes on what the title indicates: buildings. Born from symposia at the Architectural Association in 2014, it reads a bit like TED Talks for architectural educators and theoreticians. Clearly not a followup, even though it does include the introductory essay from the earlier book, Aragüez's second book, Spatial Infrastructure, takes a different, longform approach, featuring just eight essays across roughly 150 pages (that's nearly 20 pages per essay, on average). The topics in the essays spanning from 2010 to 2022 are very much aligned with The Building, with heady theoretical takes grounded in discussions of real-world examples, such as Toyo Ito's Taichung Metropolitan Opera House in Taiwan (the subject of "Sponge Territory") and FOA's Yokohama Ferry Terminal among other buildings in the essay that lends the book its title. Em obras: história do vazio em Belo Horizonte (Under Construction: History of the Void in Belo Horizonte) by Carlos M. Teixeira, published by Romano Guerra Editora in 2022 (Amazon) Think of cities in Brazil and most likely the three most-populous ones spring to mind: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasilia. Sixth on the list of Brazilian cities by population, though right up top in the life of architect Carlos M. Teixeira, is Belo Horizonte, a not-too-small city of 2.5 million in Minas Gerais. The name of Teixeira's studio, Vazio S/A, translates as "empty" but refers to the voids in Belo Horizonte that have preoccupied him for decades. In my review of his 2012 monograph, Entre, I wrote how "the stagings and sets [of his performance-based projects] attempt to activate the leftover voids of his home city," using the second Topographical Amnesia as an example. For his latest, more thematically ambitious and chronologically sweeping book, Teixeira presents the 100-plus-year history of Belo Horizonte (it was founded in 1897) with a focus on everything that has not been built: "The city, fragmented and prosaic, accepted with no nostalgic sentiment and exalted as what is most important in the city." This atypical history is told through photographs — "anti-postcards" — and numbered texts (001–122) that are interspersed with the photos. (The English translation placed at the end of the book means some back-and-forth flipping is needed to see any relationships between image and text.) Architects outside Brazil will see something familiar when they reach number 82, circa 1947: Oscar Niemeyer's buildings at Pampulha, what Teixeira calls "the occupation of a suburban void." In 1994, Teixeira writes, when residents were give a referendum to select a symbol of the city, Niemeyer's Pampulha Church was in the running but, in the end, the Serra do Curral — a sprawling natural void at the southern boundary of the municipality — won with 270,000 votes. With that "victory," I can't think of a stronger argument for Teixeira's ongoing infatuation with the void in the city where he lives and works. Lina Bo Bardi: Material Ideologies edited by Monica Ponce de Leon, published by Princeton University School of Architecture in October 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) The Womxn in Design and Architecture (WDA) formed at Princeton University School of Architecture in 2014, and three years later the graduate student group held its first annual conference, commemorating the one-year anniversary of Zaha Hadid’s passing. But it would be the second conference, Lina Bo Bardi: Material Ecologies, that became the first in WDA's Publication Series, published as a beautiful linen flexicover with numerous gatefolds among the numerous contributions coming out of the March 2018 conference. The conference had a three-part thematic structure (Concrete Brut, Natura, Material Re-Use) stemming from the "Material Ecologies" subtitle, and while the contents of the book follow the schedule of the conference's keynotes and panels, with two notable additions (Beatriz Colomina and Mario Gandelsonas), the book does not belabor the three themes, instead letting the essays stand out on their own merits. An obvious highlight is "Betwixt and Between" by Zeuler R. M. de A. Lima, author of an excellent 2013 monograph on Bo Bardi. Photo contributions by Veronika Kellndorfer ("Sprawling Nature") and Joana França ("Lina, In Situ") are stunning. Mike Cooter's "Artifacts of Work" is an unanticipated standout, one that translates a piece of one of Bo Bardi's buildings into an installation in an architecture exhibition. Kudos to CLANADA (Lana Cavar and Natasha Chandani) for the lovely design of the highly tactile book.

Book Briefs #35 Revisited
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Last week I cobbled together eight books, some of which publishers had sent me more than a year ago, in an effort to write a "Better Late Than Never" installment of "Book Briefs," something I had done back in April 2018 with Book Briefs #35. But, sensing I would not be able to absorb the books quickly enough to get the post done in less than a week, I thought that revisiting that five-year-old post would be a great way of (finally) dipping into the timesaver that is AI, asking OpenAI's ChatGPT to write similar one-paragraph reviews and see what it came up with. So that's what I did. Specifically, I told ChatGPT to "Give a short, one-paragraph review of 'X Book' by Y author." Its output is featured below, in four of the six books that were part of Book Briefs #35, accompanied by my own "briefs" from 2018 and blurbs from the publishers. How do the reviews compare, my own vs. OpenAI? My takes are certainly more personal, with first-person commentary that isn't always germane to the book at hand but indicates where I'm coming from and what I find of interest and/or value. ChatGPT is, on the other hand, formulaic, with four sentences in a clearly repetitive structure for each review: statement of importance; two descriptive sentences; a closing statement indicating relevance to a particular audience. The AI "reviews" read well and have a clear position, but they are prescriptive, repetitive, and boring (so many rules of three!), especially when read in multiples, as here. I included the blurbs to see if OpenAI was drawing any phrases from them in shaping the reviews; that does not appear to be the case, nor does it appear that it used my "briefs" to formulate its speedy takes (each one took about five seconds to generate) on the books I gave it. Maybe ChatGPT is more effective in longer reviews, but this exercise does not lend any urgency to such an attempt on my part. African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence. Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia edited by Manuel Herz, published by Park Books in 2015 (reprinted in 2023) (Amazon | Bookshop) Blurb: "In the 1950s and 1960s, most African countries gained independence from their respective colonial power. Architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed countries expressed their national identity. African Modernism investigates the close relationship between architecture and nation-building in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zambia. It features one hundred buildings with brief descriptive texts, images, site plans, and selected floor plans and sections. The vast majority of images were newly taken by Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster for the book’s first edition. Their photographs document the buildings in their present state. Each country is portrayed in an introductory text and a timeline of historic events. Further essays on postcolonial Africa and specific aspects and topics, also illustrated with images and documents, round out this outstanding volume." JohnHILL: Although the size of a coffee table book and graced by full-page Iwan Baan photographs, African Modernism is a deep, scholarly work, not just something to flip through. Focused on the five subtitled African countries that gained their independence in the late 1950s and early 1960s (5 of 32 countries on the continent that did so), the book examines how architecture played a role in expressing their independence and modernity. Each country is given an introduction, a timeline, a photo spread by Baan, documentation of important buildings in photos (most by Baan) and words, and an in-depth academic essay. Though many buildings show signs of wear (not surprising, given the time between their realization and today), the architectural quality is astounding. That the buildings in the book are largely unknown points to a deficit in architectural education and publishing — and the need for more books like this one and Adjaye Africa Architecture. ChatGPT: "'African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence. Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia' edited by Manuel Herz is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on the architectural legacy of African modernism. With a focus on five countries, the book explores the post-independence era and the architectural projects that emerged during this period of political and cultural transformation. The book's rich collection of photographs, plans, and essays provides valuable insight into the unique blend of local and international influences that shaped African modernist architecture. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in the intersection of architecture, history, and cultural identity in Africa." The Architecture of Paul Rudolph by Timothy M. Rohan, published by Yale University Press in 2014 (Amazon | Bookshop) Blurb (excerpt): "Based on extensive archival research and unpublished materials, The Architecture of Paul Rudolph is the first in-depth study of the architect, neglected since his postwar zenith. Author Timothy M. Rohan unearths the ideas that informed Rudolph’s architecture, from his Florida beach houses of the 1940s to his concrete buildings of the 1960s to his lesser-known East Asian skyscrapers of the 1990s. Situating Rudolph within the architectural discourse of his day, Rohan shows how Rudolph countered the perceived monotony of mid-century modernism with a dramatically expressive architecture for postwar America, exemplified by his Yale Art and Architecture Building of 1963, famously clad in corrugated concrete. The fascinating story of Rudolph’s spectacular rise and fall considerably deepens longstanding conceptions about postwar architecture: Rudolph emerges as a pivotal figure who anticipated new directions for architecture, ranging from postmodernism to sustainability." JohnHILL: A lot has happened in the four years since this book's publication [between 2014 and 2018]: Bertrand Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago was demolished, Paul Rudolph's own Orange County Government Center was maligned through a partial demolition and insensitive addition, and the famed Robin Hood Gardens was demolished. A new exhibition, in fact, hones in on the demolition of Brutalist structures, something that books like Rohan's haven't been able to reverse. This isn't to say that saving Rudolph's buildings and others like it was Rohan's goal, but as Alexandra Lange points out in her 2014 review of The Architecture of Paul Rudolph, "it's a timely publication." That time seems to have slid by rapidly, but given that 2018 is the centennial of Rudolph's birth, we might just see a renewed appreciation in his work. If so, Rohan's thorough, well-researched book will surely play a part. ChatGPT: "'The Architecture of Paul Rudolph' by Timothy M. Rohan is a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the influential architect's work. Rohan delves into Rudolph's distinctive design language, innovative use of materials, and his significant contributions to modern architecture. Through detailed analysis and stunning visuals, the book captures the complexity and dynamism of Rudolph's buildings, showcasing his mastery of space, form, and light. This book serves as an invaluable resource for architects, students, and enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of Rudolph's architectural legacy and his lasting impact on the field." Brodsky & Utkin by Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2015 (Amazon) Blurb: "From 1978 to 1993, the renowned Soviet 'paper architects' Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin created an incredible collection of elaborate etchings depicting outlandish, often impossible, buildings and cityscapes. Funny, cerebral, and deeply human, their obsessively detailed work layers elements borrowed from Egyptian tombs, Ledoux's visionary architecture, Le Corbusier's urban master plans, and other historical precedents in etchings of breathtaking complexity and beauty. Back by popular demand following the sold-out original 1991 edition and 2003 reprint, Brodsky & Utkin presents the sum of the architects' collaborative prints and adds new material, including an updated preface by the artists' gallery representative, Ron Feldman, a new introductory essay by architect Aleksandr Mergold, visual documentation of the duo's installation work, and rare personal photographs." JohnHILL: I'm not certain when I first learned about Russian Architects Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin. Maybe it was in a 2005 blog post at Pruned. For sure it was well after the title Princeton Architectural Press put out on the duo in the early 1990s, as well as the 2003 first edition they put out and then printed again (with new preface) in 2015. The duo's intricate etchings are more art than architecture (they're represented by Feldman Gallery, after all), though many were submissions for architectural competitions hosted by Shinkenchiku and others in the 1980s. At 9x12 inches, the book isn't small, but with so many layers of information in their images it could easily be twice as large. ChatGPT: "'Brodsky & Utkin' by Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, published by Princeton Architectural Press, is a captivating and visually stunning retrospective of the renowned Russian architectural duo. The book showcases the imaginative and whimsical architectural drawings and etchings that Brodsky and Utkin are known for. With their unique blend of historical references, surrealism, and social commentary, their works transport readers to a dreamlike world of fantastical structures. This publication serves as a valuable tribute to their distinctive artistic vision and is a must-have for architecture enthusiasts, artists, and anyone captivated by the power of architectural illustration." Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres by M. Christine Boyer, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2010 (Amazon) Blurb (excerpt): "On his French identity card, legendary architect Le Corbusier listed his profession as 'Homme de Lettres' (Man of Letters). Celebrated for his architecture, which numbers fewer than sixty buildings, Le Corbusier also wrote more than fifty books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of letters. Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres is the first in-depth study of Le Corbusier as a writer as well as an architect. [...] In Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres author M. Christine Boyer focuses on the development of his writing style as it morphed from romantic prose to aphorisms and telegraphic bulletins. [...] Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres shows for the first time how his voluminous output — books, diaries, letters, sketchbooks, travel notebooks, lecture transcriptions, exposition catalogs, journal articles — reflects not just a compulsion to write, but a passion for advancing his ideas about the relationship between architecture, urbanism, and society in a new machine age." JohnHILL: When I received this book way back in 2010, I had every intention of reading the whole thing — all 702 pages (780 pages with notes and index). Well, life got in the way and I only got through two of the book's twelve chapters before putting it down and, unfortunately, not returning to it again. I recall those hundred or so pages being, though not an easy read, certainly an enjoyable one. Boyer managed to mine Le Corbusier's original documents and discuss them in a way that pulls the reader along. A strong interest in Le Corbusier and his writings (the book focuses on 1907-1947) helps greatly; though there are plenty of architects out there meeting that criteria. ChatGPT: "'Le Corbusier, Homme de Lettres' by M. Christine Boyer is a compelling exploration of Le Corbusier's lesser-known role as a man of letters. Boyer sheds light on the prolific writings of the renowned architect, showcasing his literary talents and intellectual pursuits. Through a meticulous examination of his letters, essays, and manifestos, the book reveals the breadth and depth of Le Corbusier's ideas on architecture, urbanism, and society. This book is a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of Le Corbusier's multifaceted contributions to the fields of architecture and literature." As an expansion of my partial revisiting of Book Briefs #35, below are catalogs of two exhibitions I wrote about for World-Architects back in 2022 (MoMA's The Project of Independence in February of that year, The Met's Bernd & Hilla Becher in July) but never got around to reviewing here. These are books I consulted after my initial visits and while writing my exhibition reviews, so I have some familiarity with them, albeit now from a distance of roughly a year or more. But given that I'd yet to articulate my thoughts on them, I decided to write "briefs" on them after inputting the same prompt into ChatGPT — a reverse of the reviews above. Will the AI-generated affect how I write about them? Should I adopt the style of ChatGPT in my one-paragraph reviews? Read on to see... The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985 edited by Martino Stierli, Anoma Pieris and Sean Anderson, published by the Museum of Modern Art in March 2022 (Amazon | Bookshop) Blurb (excerpt): "Anchored by a newly commissioned portfolio of images from architectural photographer Randhir Singh, this richly illustrated and meticulously researched catalogue features essays by the curators and leading scholars in the field on subjects such as the politics of concrete, institution-building, higher education, housing, infrastructure and industry, landscape, and design, as well as presentations of seventeen transformative projects from around the subcontinent. While several of the architects appearing in these pages have in recent years received monographic exhibitions, The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985 marks the first attempt to consider their work within the ideological frameworks of its creation and the political context of the region as a whole." ChatGPT: "'The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985' edited by Martino Stierli, Anoma Pieris, and Sean Anderson is a thought-provoking and enlightening anthology that explores the architectural landscape of South Asia during the post-independence era. Through a collection of essays, case studies, and visual documentation, the book examines the complex interplay between politics, identity, and architectural production in the region. It sheds light on the diverse range of architectural projects that emerged during this transformative period, offering valuable insights into the decolonization process and its impact on the built environment. This book is an essential resource for architects, historians, and anyone interested in the intersection of architecture, history, and postcolonial studies." JohnHILL: Museum of Modern Art curator Martino Stierli, in an interview at World-Architects that I edited ahead of the opening of The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985, described that exhibition as "a continuation of the 2018 exhibition, Toward A Concrete Utopia," subtitled Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948–1980 and notably his first major show at MoMA. Stierli actually proposed the exhibition on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in his 2014 interview for the MoMA post, a clear sign that he sees the contemporary importance in "destabilizing the Western-centric canon of modern architectural history," one notably fostered by MoMA for decades. The catalog is as good as the exhibition was, with a portfolio of contemporary photographs by Randhir Singh, essays by architects and scholars (on cities, housing, infrastructure, education, and other subjects), and case studies on more than a dozen buildings, from Antonin Raymond' s Golconde dormitory in Pondicherry, India, to Yasmeen Lari's Anguri Bagh Housing in Lahore, Pakistan. As befits Stierli, an architectural historian, the catalog is more thorough and wide-ranging than the exhibition it accompanied. Bernd & Hilla Becher by Jeff L. Rosenheim, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in August 2022 (Amazon / Bookshop) Blurb: "For more than five decades, Bernd (1931–2007) and Hilla (1934–2015) Becher collaborated on photographs of industrial architecture in Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Great Britain, and the United States. This sweeping monograph features the Bechers’ quintessential pictures, which present water towers, gas tanks, blast furnaces, and more as sculptural objects. Beyond the Bechers’ iconic Typologies, the book includes Bernd’s early drawings, Hilla’s independent photographs, and excerpts from their notes, sketchbooks, and journals. The book’s authors offer new insights into the development of the artists’ process, their work’s conceptual underpinnings, the photographers’ relationship to deindustrialization, and the artists’ legacy. An essay by award-winning cultural historian Lucy Sante and an interview with Max Becher, the artists’ son, make this volume an unrivaled look into the Bechers’ art alongside their career, life, and subjects." ChatGPT: "'Bernd & Hilla Becher' by Jeff L. Rosenheim is a captivating tribute to the renowned German photographic duo known for their systematic documentation of industrial architecture. The book delves into the Bechers' distinctive approach to capturing the beauty and functionality of industrial structures, presenting their work as a unique blend of art and documentary photography. With insightful essays, stunning reproductions of their iconic images, and a comprehensive overview of their artistic journey, this book is an essential resource for photography enthusiasts, art historians, and anyone fascinated by the power of visual storytelling." JohnHILL: In the last of six numbered galleries of the Bernd & Hilla Becher exhibition at The Met last year, a glass vitrine displayed a selection of books published by the photographers in their lifetime. I wrote in my review of the exhibition that "books [were] an integral part of their career — the primary means of making their work accessible to artists, architects, historians, and the general public." Their books, furthermore, are highly prized — expensive even as reprints, and somewhat scarce — so any book on the Bechers, in my mind, is welcome, especially this one by Met curator Jeff L. Rosenheim. Highlights of the beautifully produced catalog include Gabrielle Conrath-Scholl's essay on the Bechers' documentation of Zeche Concordia between 1967 and 1970; Rosenheim's interview with Max, the Bechers' son; and 120 pages of plates that include a couple gatefolds. The plates may not be a substitute for seeing the Bechers' photographs — larger — in a gallery setting, but their accompaniments make them that as valuable here.

My Biennale Haul
Two weeks ago I was in Venice for the Biennale, covering the 18th International Architecture Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko for World-Architects. It was my first trip back to Venice since the 2018 Biennale, which was the 16th edition and was curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects. Like other writers outside of Europe, the interim edition, though delayed from 2020 to 2021 due the pandemic, still opened at a time when international travel was difficult. I passed on it, as many others did. My 2018 trip yielded a pair of "book briefs" on this blog with two handfuls of catalogs from the main exhibition, some from the national pavilions, and some on collateral events. Although a similar number of books from the current Biennale is featured below, it felt this year that print catalogs were slimmer than in years past. For instance, the national pavilions were focused more on digital than print publications, making them available via QR codes and offering to ship print versions later. And only one pavilion, Bahrain, had a large stack of books that whittled down over the course of the two-day vernissage. The FOODSCAPES book in the Spanish Pavilion I have a hard time passing up any printed catalog, but I could only carry so much with me, so the below list is limited to the ones I felt were important enough to bring home with me. What's missing? The most exceptional printed catalog I came across was for the Spanish Pavilion, FOODSCAPES, whose website indicates part of the exhibition includes "an archive in the form of a recipe book." The book I flipped through on the large table in the middle of the venue (photo above) was large, the size of an atlas; its large pages were full of essays, images, architectural projects, and other content related to the theme. But only a newsprint was distributed during the vernissage and, while the Biennale bookshop was selling catalogs to other pavilions, Spain was not one of them. For now, this book remains a mystery. The days leading up to the opening of the Biennale on May 20 were also packed with book launches, some that I signed up for ahead of time but, for one reason or another, didn't make it to, and others that I happened upon as I trekked the Biennale grounds or ventured around Venice. These books I missed include: Sketches on Everlasting Plastics, the first iteration of an ongoing editorial intervention around the US Pavilion exhibition Everlasting Plastics; Architecture in Islamic Countries: Selections from the Catalogue for the Second International Exhibition of Architecture Venice 1982/83, the first English translation of the Italian catalog for the second Venice Architecture Biennale, directed by Paolo Portoghesi; and the launch of the first volume of Khōrein: Journal for Architecture and Philosophy. Main Exhibition: Biennale Architettura 2023: The Laboratory of the Future edited by Lesley Lokko, published by Silvana Editoriale (Amazon / Bookshop) As seems to be the norm in Biennales this century, the catalog for the International Architecture Exhibition is published in two sizes (small and large) and, at least in the large size, in two volumes: one volume devoted to the main exhibition and one volume cataloging the dozens of national pavilions. The latter for this year is the slimmer volume (176 pages) and is basically unnecessary, given the numerous standalone catalogs for the national pavilions and the only cursory, preliminary content available for each contribution. The volume basically serves as a reference, with two-page spreads providing a curatorial statement, list of contributors, and an image giving a sense of the theme for each pavilion and collateral event. On the other hand, the longer, 440-page volume devoted to Lesley Lokko's exhibition, The Laboratory of the Future, is more than necessary. Not only does it provide similar statements, team information, and images on the 89 contributors to the exhibition, it helpfully presents them in the multifaceted structure Lokko set up for the exhibition. Within the theme are a handful of sections (Force Majeure, Dangerous Liaisons, Curator's Special Projects, etc.) that are split between the Giardini and Arsenale venues but also intertwined. The catalog presents the contributions within this thematic structure and in alphabetical order; plans of the venues with numbered keys indicate their physical location. Short essays and images inserted between the color-coded sections round out the beautifully produced volume. National Pavilions: Cloud-to-ground edited by Oren Eldar, Edith Kofsky and Hadas Maor, published by Park Books (Amazon / Bookshop) Open for Maintenance – Wegen Umbau geöffnet edited by Anh-Linh Ngo, published by ARCH+ / Spector Books (Amazon / Bookshop) Partecipazione / Beteiligung edited by AKT and Hermann Czech, published by Luftschacht Verlag (Amazon / Bookshop) Walkers in Amazonia: The Calendar Project edited by Alexia León and Lucho Marcial, published by Patronato Cultural del Peru (PDF download) With just two days of the vernissage to take in the large main exhibition, dozens of national pavilions, and even more collateral events and other exhibitions around the city — and with most visitors to the Biennale spending a day or two there anyways — catalogs are valuable for allowing visitors to devote more time to exhibits of interest. They're particularly valuable for the national pavilions, which are major efforts that often treat the catalogs as extensions of the materials on display. A case in point is Israel's pavilion, cloud-to-ground, which is empty this year and just consists of a few models of buildings on stands in the adjacent courtyard. The concrete models depict old telephone exchanges that are, in reality like the Israel Pavilion, closed off, symbols of how technological change leads to a residue of "black boxes" and provoke the obvious question: What will happen to today's server farms tomorrow, when their technology is obsolete? If the pavilion is slim on information, the book is thorough — and lovely, in its own way — overloaded with essays, interviews, a 112-page "telephone exchanges index," an index of data centers, and much more content. Brazil and Great Britain won the jury's awards for national pavilions, but two of my favorites didn't: Austria and Germany. Though markedly different in content, each pavilion is about connecting to the Venetian context; Austria does it through a proposal to physically link its pavilion to the Sant'Elena neighborhood just beyond its walls, and Germany does it by turning its pavilion into a materials depot and workshop for Venetian students and craftspeople to use scrap from the 2022 Venice Art Biennale for school and building projects. Austria's bilingual catalog gives a background on the Biennale's gradual encroachment into Sant'Elena as the reasoning behind the temporary footbridge the curators wanted to build for this year's exhibition; the book also catalogs the expansion of the Biennale this century into the rest of the city via small venues and has essays on the right to the city and other relevant topics. It's a strong, politically charged idea — no wonder the Biennale and other authorities shot down the proposed temporary bridge. The German Pavilion is curated in part by the editors of ARCH+, so logically the catalog to Open for Maintenance – Wegen Umbau geöffnet is published by the German architecture magazine; it has been released in separate German and English issues, the latter done with Spector Books. The 208-page matte-paper issue, number 252, comes with a 24-page glossy insert that explains the premise of the pavilion and documents its realization through color photographs. The various pieces of the pavilion — exterior ramp, material repository, workshop, kitchenette, waterless toilet, and meeting space — are both illustrative and functioning parts of the circular economy promoted by the curators. The numerous contributions to the issue proper address everything from maintenance and care to race and gender, from the politics of disability to squatting and the right to the city. The issue even has built projects, set off from the rest on gray pages, that follow from the pavilion's theme. Last of the national pavilion catalogs I brought home is Walkers in Amazonia: The Calendar Project, Peru's contribution to the Biennale. Housed in a smallish building at the Arsenale alongside a few other nations that don't have their own pavilions in the Giardini, Walkers in Amazonia is structured as an A-frame displaying colorful calendars created by indigenous communities in the Peruvian jungle. The catalog contains all of those calendars on glossy pages, but at a smaller size that means many of the words accompanying the drawings are too small to read (they're all in Spanish, obviously, but still). The calendars clearly express a circular understanding of time that is rooted in natural cycles, of reciprocally living in and caring for the jungle. Coincidentally, I met architect Marta Maccaglia, who was in town to accept the inaugural divia award (see below) for the work she's been doing in Peru for about a decade; she told me how happy she was to see the Peruvian jungle as the subject of the pavilion, especially its expression in the colorful circular calendars. Elsewhere in Venice: divia award 2023: Diversity in Architecture edited by Ursula Schwitalla and Christiane Fath, published by Hatje Cantz (Amazon) Kengo Kuma: Onomatopoeia Architecture edited by Elena Caldara, published by Dario Cimorelli Editore Quaderns Biennale, 2023: Following the Fish edited by Daniel Cid, Francesc Pla and Eva Serrats, published by Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) Zero Gravity Urbanism: Principles for a New Livability published by NEOM La Biennale di Venezia has a structure that is clear but can be confusing for people visiting Venice during the Biennale — which is about half of every year, when considered between the alternating art and architecture exhibitions. The official exhibitions and events for the Venice Architecture Biennale consist of the International Architecture Exhibition (the one curated by Lesley Lokko this year), the national pavilions (in the Giardini, traditionally, but also in the Arsenale), special projects like V&A's Applied Arts Pavilion, and collateral events that are distributed around the city. But many unofficial exhibitions and events overlap with the Biennale, taking advantage of the people visiting the city to look at architecture exhibitions but also giving the impression that any exhibition in Venice in that time is part of the Biennale. Of these four books, only one is for an official Biennale event. One of the just nine collateral events in this year's Biennale is Catalonia in Venice_ Following the Fish, which is strongly aligned with Lesley Lokko's exhibition. (National pavilions, or in this case a regional collateral event, don't need to follow the theme of the main exhibition, but they have every right to — and often they do.) It looks at the community of vendors ("manters") in Barcelona who traveled there from Senegal for better opportunities, but instead of being able to ply their trades they are left to hustle cheap wares on the sidewalks, always on the lookout for police ready to arrest them. The story is more complicated than this description, but the exhibition bravely addresses the racism the manters confront on a daily basis; and it reveals to visitors the unseen or ignored community that the curators have formed an alliance with, one aimed at much-needed reparations. Architecturally, the pavilion includes some small-scale solutions for community places in Barcelona, but the catalog focuses on texts that contextualize the complex issue. Want an experience that is the near-opposite of Following the Fish? Head to Abbazia di San Gregorio and the over-the-top, non-Biennale exhibition of The Line and other NEOM projects. Zero Gravity Urbanism—Principles for a New Livability is, I wrote, more marketing than culture: numerous models of various scales for The Line, the inane — or it it insane? — proposal for a 170-km-long "city" in the Saudi Arabian desert that would house 9 million people and somehow be a model for sustainable living. I'll admit that the models on display are impressive, and the architect in me who was educated in the early 1990s liked seeing designs that were almost plucked from the decade ... but this is irresponsible planning, to say the least. Yet, with the country's deep pockets and architects willing to go along with it, at least a portion of it is being realized: The Hidden Marina, clearly catering to the super rich and their vessels. The catalog I was able to get a hold of is "not for sale," per its insides, but like the exhibition it's more marketing than anything else of value. Not far from the NEOM exhibition, at the Berührungspunkte venue along the Grand Canal, the inaugural divia award was celebrated the Friday of the vernissage. The event was not the unveiling of the winner, Marta Maccaglia, which had taken place a couple weeks prior in Berlin, but a celebration of the award taking place during the Biennale and the distribution of a few copies of the book on the award. (World-Architects is a media partner for divia, which is short of Diversity in Architecture, so I was able to get a copy.) The book is slim, at less than 100 pages, but is very well done, from its red cover boards to the color photos with projects of the winner and finalists, and interviews with the same. While the inaugural award created by Ursula Schwitalla and Christiane Fath is focused on women in architecture, future iterations of the award are supposed to branch out to encompass other areas of diversity within the profession. Directly across the Grand Canal from Berührungspunkte is Palazzo Franchetti, a venue for Portugal's national pavilion but also host to an exhibition of cultural projects underway in Qatar (almost as questionable as NEOM) and a sizable monographic exhibition on Kengo Kuma. Onomatopoeia Architecture, which I'll be reviewing for World-Architects in the coming weeks, is a pleasing show, with beautiful models of Kuma's buildings sitting in the palazzo's lushly appointed rooms. The displays are accompanied by two installations: a wooden structure at the entrance to the exhibition on the piano nobile and a larger aluminum piece in the garden overlooking the Grand Canal and the Accademia Bridge. The catalog isn't a particularly deep exploration of Kuma's buildings, but it does a good job of articulating the ideas behind the Japanese architect's "onomatopoeia architecture."

Self-Published Books by BNIM and KPF
Over at World-Architects I wrote about two self-published books recently published by BNIM and KPF: ALL - The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center by BNIM Design in Detail by Kohn Pedersen Fox The "Found" feature also includes responses to a few questions on why the firms opted to self-publish rather than work with publishers on these books.

Learning from the 2023 Book Fair
This year's New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is my third, following the 2022 book fair and, just days before lockdown, the 2020 book fair. Three hardly makes me an expert, even in my specialization of architecture books, but it does help with gauging the value given to books on the subject and getting a sense of how architecture books are seen within the wider rare books market. Generally, "rare" equates with "old" first editions that have signatures and, in some cases, limited print runs. The last, in the realm of architecture, points to anything pre-capital-M-modern but also, ironically, architecture books in general, since they tend to have limited print runs compared to fiction — compared to anything but artist books, really — and usually just one printing. But the small print runs of architecture books do not equate to high asking prices, as could be grasped by the smattering of architecture books that I came across at the 2023 edition of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair — at the Park Avenue Armory until Sunday. The ones on display are a narrow bunch, tending almost exclusively toward big-name architects from the 20th century (Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Venturi Scott Brown) and old Europeans (Alberti, Palladio, Vitrivius, Piranesi). Along these lines, below are some things I learned while browsing the booths at this year's book fair trying to find some architectural gems. Lesson 1: Corbu is (still) king. If one architect appeared more than any other in my quick scan of the booksellers' offerings yesterday afternoon, it was definitely Le Corbusier; he made roughly fifty books in his lifetime, so that's hardly a surprise. It also helps that it's been a half-century since his death and, even with a lot of criticism of his legacy in recent years, he seems more popular than ever in rare book circles. A few of the Corbu books I came across: Johnson Rare Books & Archives has a first edition of Des Canons, Des Munitions? Merci! Des Logis... S.V.P. from 1937, complete with a typed signed letter by Corbu. It is going for $7,500. Ursus Books is selling an "incredibly rare first edition of Le Corbusier's legendary Farbenklaviatur [Color Keyboards ...] the first of the two collections of colors which he designed for the Salubra wallpaper company" in 1931. Birkhäuser did a reproduction about 25 years ago that can be found for a few hundred dollars, but a first edition at Ursus will put you back $22,500. Those offerings pale in comparison to one of the 250 copies of La Poème de l'Angle Droit from 1955; Bernett Penka Rare Books on the Arts and Visual Culture has it, complete with an original case, for $50,000. Lesson 2: Old + European = Rare + Valuable. While walking the aisles of the fair, it felt at times that "architecture" was limited to old treatises, pattern books, etchings, and the like, all coming from Europe centuries ago. Large folios opened to drawings were in many glass cases, standing out as skilled and (once) influential creations but also anachronistic images of what many people think buildings should be: classical. Traditionally, architecture libraries — be they institutional, professional, or private — have been practical: providing guidance and inspiration for architects. Outside of a few architectural historians, that's not the case with books like these, which are prized for their age, scarcity, and beauty, not their practicality to architects. And even if architects still used them, such as those at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, they'd probably use reprints rather than valuable 500-year-old originals. Ursus Books makes another appearance here, this time with a portfolio (ca. 1810) of 24 plates by Antoine Joseph Gaitte of Claude Nicholas Ledoux's 18th-century toll-gates in Paris. Price: $8,500. Books — or, more accurately, scrolls — of Vitruvius's foundational text on architecture, De architectura, don't exist, so later Renaissance versions of it are prized, such as this one edited by Fra Giovanni Tacuino in 1511. Erasmushaus is selling it for $65,000. (The Basel-based bookseller also has a first edition of Palladio's Quattro Libri for $66,000.) The enduring legacy of Giovanni Battista Piranesi is evident in "The Grand Tour" booth of Mayfair Rare Books & Manuscripts, which has a folio with 20 etched plates of Paestum (ca. 1778) going for €25,000. Lesson 3: Architects love certain artists and designers. Audience is always important when it comes to book sales. If we lump architects together as one audience, I'd argue that they purchase books outside of architecture as often as they amass books on architecture. Books on art and design are high among the former, with very particular artists and designers — ones with shared affinities for form, space, texture, etc. — standing out over others. A couple are below, plus one surprise (to me). In his lifetime Massimo Vignelli designed many architecture books, though in NYC he is known for his redesign of the MTA subway map in the 1970s. Never widely implemented, the Vignelli Map made a comeback this century for the MTA's Weekender website, and in recent years I've seen it popping up in stations. Still, seeing an original map from 1978 at Geographicus Rare Antique Maps made me stop in my tracks (no pun intended). How much? $7,500. Architects love artists who trained as architects, and right up top is Gordon Matta-Clark, who sliced and cut open buildings, documenting the transient (de)constructions in photographs. A book of his I'd heard about but hadn't seen in person is Walls Paper, which the artist made from photographs of partially demolished buildings in the Bronx in the early 1970s (he died in 1978 at just 35 years old). He colored the b/w photos and then cut the pages in the middle so juxtapositions are created as one flips through it. Two copies were on display at the fair: at Sims Reed Ltd. ($5,000) and Jeff Hirsch Books ($3,000). Who is this Utopian architectural designer that Vivien Greene supposedly called the "Edgar Allan Poe of Architecture"? I'd never heard of Albert Trachsel before coming across this signed copy of Les Fêtes réelles, an "architectural poem" he made in 1897. Martyan Lan is selling it for $9,500. Lesson 4: Learning from Las Vegas is the architect's "one book." If there is one book today that every architect should have, it's not Le Corbusier's Vers une architecture or Koolhaas and company's S,M,L,XL or even Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language. It's Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. (No explanation needed on its importance and influence, I hope, but here's something I wrote about it five years ago.) Heck, most architects already have the book, but I'm referring to the 1972 first edition, not the 1977 paperback. It's big, expensive (even the facsimile edition put out by MIT Press in 2017 is $100), and rare. I'm lucky enough to have a first edition, but mine is lacking the glassine jacket that Johnson Rare Books & Archives has on display next to Corbusier's Munitions. That's not an original box at right, but inside the book are the authors' signatures, which brings the price to $3,000.
