Architecture

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Located in Huangpu New Village, Fengshan—one of Taiwan's earliest military dependents' villages—this café embraces restraint as its primary design strategy. The architectural framework and original residential layout are preserved, while the space is sensitively adapted to accommodate both the brand's identity and commercial functionality. At the entrance, a neon installation traces the trajectory of time, extending the design language of temporality. This dynamic light feature serves as both a visual anchor and a guiding element within the former vestibule.

© Yi-Hsien Lee and Associates YHLAA architects: True Thing Design Studio Location: Fengshan Dist., Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Yi-Hsien Lee and Associates YHLAA Area: 200.0 m2 Read more »

Abandoned for half a century, the sprawling Neuhoff meat-packing complex is poised to become an exciting new addition to Nashville's resurgence.

© Seth Parker / Christopher Payne architects: S9 Architecture Project Year: 2025 Photographs: Seth Parker / Christopher Payne Area: 1300000.0 ft2 Read more »

The project combines three architectural expressions that resonate with the urban challenges of the neighborhood. The first, a structural grid in white concrete, represents a Mediterranean identity and speaks of the thickness, shadow, porosity, rhythm, and framing of the large landscape. It complements the thickness of the loggias and becomes the very language of the architecture. The second is a more restrained composition, allowing the poetic landscape of the area to emerge in the heart of the block. The last expression refers to a domestic scale, seen in the white concrete-roofed houses and the pathways through the project.

© Stéphane Aboudaram | WE ARE CONTENT(S) architects: Rémy MARCIANO architecte Location: rue André Allar, 13015 Marseille, France Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Stéphane Aboudaram | WE ARE CONTENT(S) Area: 9305.0 m2 Read more »

Architectural firm Carlana Mezzalira Pentimalli has completed the new Brixen Public Library (Bolzano, Italy), a stone's throw from the Duomo — a public institution founded in 1984, which, with its legacy of over 36.000 books represents a landmark for the entire Isarco Valley. Following on from the Music School, the studio doubles its presence in Tyrol's oldest city by giving the community a contemporary space for learning and sharing, a welcoming urban living room that reinforces cultural identity and instills a strong sense of social cohesion."This is not a library intended as a large container of books – quite the opposite. It is a project deeply rooted in its context, designed to welcome and generate human relationships and exchanges, intertwining cultures, practices, and people of different ages "; explain the architects Michel Carlana, Luca Mezzalira, and Curzio Pentimalli.

© Marco Cappelletti architects: Carlana Mezzalira Pentimalli Location: Piazza Duomo 4, 39042 Brixen, Italy Project Year: 2022 Photographs: Marco Cappelletti Photographs: Area: 3013.0 m2 Read more »

In the architectural production of Argentina in recent years, numerous offices have emerged that, through their practice, explorations, and works, have gained relevance within the contemporary discipline. It is important to highlight that many young architects, even with nascent careers in terms of built work, have managed to establish themselves, demonstrating a unique voice and a defined imprint in their work.

Casa Chacarera / Tectum arquitectura . Image © Federico Cairoli In the architectural production of Argentina in recent years, numerous offices have emerged that, through their practice, explorations, and works, have gained relevance within the contemporary discipline. It is important to highlight that many young architects, even with nascent careers in terms of built work, have managed to establish themselves, demonstrating a unique voice and a defined imprint in their work. Read more »

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group has completed the 1,200-m2 Jinji Lake Pavilion in Suzhou, China. Situated on the Jinji waterfront, the pavilion offers a space for public gatherings and hospitality and is one of the eleven permanent pavilions developed as part of the City's initiative to create a vibrant and welcoming promenade.

© StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta architects: Bjarke Ingels Group Location: Suzhou, China Project Year: 2025 Photographs: StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta Area: 1200.0 m2 Read more »

Archinfo, the Information Centre for Finnish Architecture, has announced the theme, curator, and exhibition team for the Pavilion of Finland at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, titled "The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship", will focus on the diverse labor involved in constructing and maintaining architecture, from design contributions by architectural workers and engineers to the efforts of construction workers, restoration architects, maintenance staff, and cleaners, all of whom play vital roles in the creation and upkeep of the built environment. Curated by Ella Kaira and Matti Jänkälä from the Helsinki-based architecture practice Vokal, it will use Alvar and Elissa Aalto's Pavilion of Finland to explore architecture as a collaborative endeavor.

L: The Finlandia sign being installed during the pavilion’s construction in 1956. Photo Isa Andrenius, Courtesy of The National Archives of Finland. R: Daniele Canato from Vita Restauri painting the pavilion’s facade in 2025. The cables of the Finlandia sign have been cut at the neighbouring construction site of the main pavilion. Courtesy of The National Archives of Finland.. Image © Matti Jänkälä Archinfo, the Information Centre for Finnish Architecture, has announced the theme, curator, and exhibition team for the Pavilion of Finland at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, titled "The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship", will focus on the diverse labor involved in constructing and maintaining architecture, from design contributions by architectural workers and engineers to the efforts of construction workers, restoration architects, maintenance staff, and cleaners, all of whom play vital roles in the creation and upkeep of the built environment. Curated by Ella Kaira and Matti Jänkälä from the Helsinki-based architecture practice Vokal, it will use Alvar and Elissa Aalto's Pavilion of Finland to explore architecture as a collaborative endeavor. Read more »

For centuries, buildings and towns were built layer upon layer. Churches were built on the foundations of temples, and cathedrals over churches, taller and grander; the crypts of cathedrals were often what remained of the previous church. Today, however, we are more respectful and reverential of those buildings that have survived the ravages of rapid urbanization. We tend to 'heritage list' such buildings to preserve them, and we do not build over or in front of them. That said, additions are often necessary to ensure a historic building's compatibility with our modern lifestyles, and so we seek to disguise these additions, by placing them to the rear, or in the case of this grand home, hiding them below ground level.

© Prue Ruscoe architects: Luigi Rosselli Architects Location: Neutral Bay, North Sydney, NSW, Australia. Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Prue Ruscoe Photographs: Piers Haskard Area: 900.0 m2 Read more »

The British Museum has announced that Paris-based Lina Ghotmeh Architecture (LGA) has been selected to lead the redesign of its Western Range galleries. This decision follows a rigorous international competition, marking a significant milestone in the Museum's Masterplan, a long-term initiative to modernize its Bloomsbury site while maintaining its historic integrity. The project will be one of the most extensive cultural redevelopments globally, covering approximately 15,650 square meters, including a third of the museum's gallery space.

Courtesy of LGA The British Museum has announced that Paris-based Lina Ghotmeh Architecture (LGA) has been selected to lead the redesign of its Western Range galleries. This decision follows a rigorous international competition, marking a significant milestone in the Museum's Masterplan, a long-term initiative to modernize its Bloomsbury site while maintaining its historic integrity. The project will be one of the most extensive cultural redevelopments globally, covering approximately 15,650 square meters, including a third of the museum's gallery space. Read more »

The Pritzker Prize is the most important award in the field of architecture, awarded to a living architect whose built work "has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity through the art of architecture." The Prize rewards individuals, not entire offices, as took place in 2000 (when the jury selected Rem Koolhaas instead of his firm OMA) or in 2016 (with Alejandro Aravena selected instead of Elemental); however, the prize can also be awarded to multiple individuals working together, as took place in 2001 (Herzog & de Meuron), 2010 (Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA), and 2017 (Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta of RCR Arquitectes).

Ceremonia del Premio Pritzker 2017: Ryue Nishizawa (izquierda), Tadao Ando, Kazuyo Sejima, Rafael Aranda, Glenn Murcutt, Carme Pigem, Ramon Vilalta, Toyo Ito, Shigeru Ban. Image © Pritzker Architecture Prize The Pritzker Prize is the most important award in the field of architecture, awarded to a living architect whose built work "has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity through the art of architecture." The Prize rewards individuals, not entire offices, as took place in 2000 (when the jury selected Rem Koolhaas instead of his firm OMA) or in 2016 (with Alejandro Aravena selected instead of Elemental); however, the prize can also be awarded to multiple individuals working together, as took place in 2001 (Herzog & de Meuron), 2010 (Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA), and 2017 (Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta of RCR Arquitectes). Read more »

Glass bricks have been widely used in architecture, eventually becoming a staple of the 1980s architectural styles. Some examples of construction with this material could be the classic "Maison de Verre" by Pierre Chareau and Bernard Bijvoet in Paris or the more modern take of Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP with the Optical Glasshouse in Japan. In recent years, glass bricks are becoming increasingly popular, no longer relegated to older aesthetics. Instead, they have evolved into versatile design elements that bring light, texture, and character into contemporary interiors. Their ability to diffuse natural and artificial light while maintaining privacy has reignited interest among designers seeking innovative ways to enhance indoor spaces while taking advantage of natural light.

© Atdhe Mulla Glass bricks have been widely used in architecture, eventually becoming a staple of the 1980s architectural styles. Some examples of construction with this material could be the classic "Maison de Verre" by Pierre Chareau and Bernard Bijvoet in Paris or the more modern take of Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP with the Optical Glasshouse in Japan. In recent years, glass bricks are becoming increasingly popular, no longer relegated to older aesthetics. Instead, they have evolved into versatile design elements that bring light, texture, and character into contemporary interiors. Their ability to diffuse natural and artificial light while maintaining privacy has reignited interest among designers seeking innovative ways to enhance indoor spaces while taking advantage of natural light. Read more »

The refurbishment and extension of a late 1950s twin house in Restelo is a measured architectural intervention that combines mid-century modernist sensibilities with contemporary design principles. Situated on an unassuming urban plot, the project reconfigures the property to maximize spatial efficiency, natural light, and connections to the surrounding environment while preserving key elements of its original character.

© Francisco Nogueira architects: João Tiago Aguiar, Arquitectos Location: Lisbon, Portugal Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Francisco Nogueira Area: 6458.3 ft Read more »

This project is a renovation of an old storehouse in a town at the foot of Mount Akagi, which is surrounded by farmland. The client acquired the storehouse, which was left on the site as an attachment to a used house, and plans to use it as an office for his own business.

© Shinsuke Hayakawa architects: Negishi Kenchiku Studio Location: Kiryu city, Gunma prefecture, Japan Project Year: 2024 Photographs: Shinsuke Hayakawa Area: 58.0 m2 Read more »

The base is located in the urban area of ​​Mailiao Township, Yunlin County, adjacent to farmland. This area is not far from the sea, and there is a very strong northeast monsoon in winter. Mailiao Community Education Park was donated by Formosa Plastics Corporation for common use by towns in the seaside area. Formosa Plastics Corporation invested in the world's largest petrochemical park nearby.

© Jian Zhuo Lai architects: Zoom Design Atelier Location: Mai-Liao Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan Project Year: 2023 Photographs: Jian Zhuo Lai Photographs: Yen-Chi Hsu Photographs: Mu-Jou Hsu Area: 5404.0 m2 Read more »

Like the city in the past, the countryside is becoming the new catalyst for change. FB, 2007. Net Zero and Beyond. House W is FBA's first building to generate more energy than it consumes. Counterintuitively, the solution does not result in compactness but in breaking it up. Bucking the (still ongoing) trend to move from the countryside to the city, the clients, a young family living in Tokyo approached FBA to design their new home on the western edge of the Furano Plateau — a 25-km-long and 5-km-wide strip in the center of Hokkaido, renown for its cold powder-snow winters and beautiful summers. Their plan is ambitious: A building independent from the local power grid, generating at least as much energy as it consumes. Net zero. (The built outcome goes further: Over the course of an entire year, House W produces almost twice the energy it consumes.)

© SGR architects: Florian Busch Architects Location: Nakafurano, Hokkaido, Japan Project Year: 2024 Photographs: SGR Area: 163.0 m2 Read more »

The Forbici Academy is a renovation project of an existing building that lacks a façade in the center of the city of La Plata. A foundational "chorizo" house that over time has filled its remaining patios, occupying 100% of the lot and depriving most of its rooms of air and light.

© Luís Barandiarán Read more »

ecoLogicStudio www.ecologicstudio.com, architecture and research firm blending biotechnology and design, founded in London in 2005 by Prof Claudia Pasquero and Dr Marco Poletto, officially presents the Design Apothecary, their new biophilic project in the city of Turin in Italy. The Design Apothecary represents an evolution in the conversion of industrial heritage into creative hubs and tests a new concept of ecologic domesticity. Its centerpiece is a fully functional air purifying algae garden, featuring 17 photosynthetic reactors. This opens-up on a living lab room bordering a balcony with a library of medicinal plants. In addition, guests will be welcomed into a drawing room that simultaneously functions as an exhibition space for 3D-printed biophilic products and furniture. Finally, adjacent to it, a more private area hosts a playful guestroom. After evaluating various locations, Claudia and Marco chose to develop their first Design Apothecary in Turin. The city is renowned for its rich artistic, scientific, and technological heritage as well as a tradition for radical design eclecticism. At the forefront of aerospace and automotive research, as well as cutting-edge developments in AI and robotics, Turin is growing a strong scientific community. It also presents challenges, such as very high levels of air pollution, which makes it a perfect test bed for bio-design.

© Pepe Fotografia architects: ecoLogicStudio Location: Corso Tassoni 56, Turin, Italy Photographs: Pepe Fotografia Read more »

Honoring the Original and Reviving It with Modernity - In Prague's Nusle district, a redevelopment project at Boleslavova 3 has brought new life to a courtyard gallery building from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The reconstruction preserved the historical essence of the structure while enhancing its common spaces and creating apartments with modern layouts tailored to contemporary living needs. The floor plan allowed for the creation of 15 unique residential units, offering views of the Nusle Valley. New striking interventions are represented by an unconventional palette of powdery shades that runs throughout the entire house.

© BoysPlayNice architects: Plus One Architects Location: Boleslavova 141/3, Prague, Czech Republic Project Year: 2024 Photographs: BoysPlayNice Area: 780.0 m2 Read more »

This blog wrapped in early 2024, though it continues as a Substack newsletter with the same name: archidose.substack.com

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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?

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

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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Zaha Hadid Architects' new Capital International Exhibition & Convention Center (CIECC) in Beijing was inaugurated today, becoming the city’s largest and most advanced venue of its kind. Image: Virgile Simon Bertrand/Zaha Hadid Architects The structure expands Beijing’s existing facility to over 6.5 million square feet with nine new exhibition halls, three new reception halls, a conference center for 9,000 delegates, and a hotel with 410 rooms. Image: Virgile Simon Bertrand/Zaha Hadid Architects CIECC comes in response to the significant amount of growth Beijing has experienced in the service and digital technology industries. This expansion of the city’s corporate sectors has increased demand for it to host conventions, international conferences, and industry expos. Image: Virgile Simon Bertrand/Zaha Hadid Architects The building is located in Beijing’s Shunyi District along the city’s subway network and adjacent to Capital International Airport. The CIECC’s central north-south axis se...

New research on disaster recovery from the Urban Institute has given a sketch of the complicating factors dictating the timeline for recovery of communities affected by the Los Angeles Fires. The report’s authors claim their study of recovery timelines following recent wildfires in Hawaii, Colorado, and Northern California indicated that the issuance of new building permits will, alongside the debris removals process, most likely push into the end of the decade. This comes after both the state and city dropped certain requirements recently in an effort to expedite the recovery process. The estimated cost of the damage has been reported at $30 billion per the LA Times. Here’s more from our recent coverage of the disaster: SCI-Arc research on Los Angeles wildfires to be exhibited at Venice Biennale The zoning 'trap' in Los Angeles' post-fire rebuild SCI-Arc faculty member Erik Ghenoiu studies rebuilding after losing home in Eaton Fire

MAD Architects has updated the progress on their forthcoming Shenzhen Bay Culture Park ahead of its anticipated September completion. The project was first announced in 2020 along with founder Ma Yansong’s vision for a "surreal atmosphere" where "time and space are dissolved and placed against each other" in a concept that weightlessly integrates the Creative Design Hall, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum, and a new green public space into one complex covering roughly 550,000 square feet (or 51,000 square meters). The firm is also currently hiring for a Junior Architect role in their Beijing office.

Get Lectured continues its Spring '25 roundup today with a look at the events in store this semester for the New York Institute of Technology School of Architecture & Design, an Archinect Partner School. Responding to the theme of 'WORLDS UN/DESIGNED: Unscripted, Atypical, Unnatural, & Uncontrolled,⁠' the spring series continues March 26 with a book launch event for professor Tom Verebes’s book Beyond the Envelope that will feature talks by Verebes, Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto, Scott Lee, and Morphosis. Following that event are lectures from Jose Araguez (April 1); Benedetta Tagliabue (April 4); Raffaella Laezza (April 11); Harold Kloft (April 17); and Miriam NiCastro (May 1). A special symposium on interior design will be held on April 2, and the semester concludes with an exhibition of photography work on May 2. Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

A project for the Therme Group from Diller Scofidio + Renfro in Dubai is drawing lots of online attention for its radically transparent facade and status as the "world’s tallest resort" after being announced by planning authorities in the UAE. What is set to be located on a manmade archipelago in the heart of the city includes an indoor waterfall feature inside its cascading 328-foot (100-meter) tall labyrinth of different wellness programming divided into three themed experiential zones. Image courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Rendering by MIR As with other designs for the European resort chain, the Therme Dubai location’s interior spaces serve a network of pools both large and small, a Michelin-star restaurant, and what has been promoted to become the world’s largest indoor botanical garden. Image courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Rendering by MIR This would make it a direct challenge to the latter claim by the time of its planned opening in 2028. (The most likely current record...

Construction of the two-building Infinity Tower project in Shanghai from Studio Libeskind is progressing in the city’s Free-Trade Zone. The symmetrical towers, whose architectural form resembles a dance of two cranes, are connected by a 15th-floor skybridge containing an open viewing platform and feature an articulated facade. The project equals a combined floor area of just under 829,000 square feet (77,000 square meters). Together, they stand as a "grand arch" framing entry into the Flying Fish commercial complex. Libeskind was also recently announced as the lead architect for a Holocaust remembrance museum project at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.

For this week's curated picks of architecture and design competitions listed on Bustler, we are featuring four calls seeking the best of Irish architecture across all types and scales, exceptional design originating from the tri-state area, innovative designs for large underground structures, and proposals for the transformation of a historic Venetian villa into a sustainable, rural retreat. For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

A new exhibition opening this month at the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is set to explore the art of wearable architecture in the form of ritual headdresses designed by architects to mimic their favorite buildings in the city. On view through May 30th, Architectural Head Games features a dozen designs that communicate the "experience" of Chicago’s great architecture first-hand through interpretive design skills and creative self-expression.

The British Museum has announced that Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (LG—A) has won the international competition to redesign the museum's Western Range galleries. Part of the London institution’s wider masterplan project, the redesign is set to be “one of the biggest cultural renovations undertaken anywhere in the world,” according to the museum.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial is ramping up for an upcoming sixth edition with the announcement of its decision to welcome noted art gallerist and administrator Jennifer Armetta as the event's next Executive Director. Armetta, the Owner and Director of Aspect/Ratio Projects in Chicago, will help raise funds and expand partnerships that support curatorial and programming opportunities for the popular biennial. She joins the CAB's first female and Latin American Director, current UIC School of Architecture director Florencia Rodriguez, who was appointed in November. The CAB 6 will kick off on September 12th, 2025, under the title Shift: Architecture in Times of Radical Change.

A design from Gensler for the Egyptian Al-Ahly Football Club has won quite a few online supporters thanks to a unique site response and focal point as a potential future venue for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The 42,000-seat stadium would be located close to the Sphinx International Airport, between Cairo and Alexandria, and feature a partially submerged bowl and sunken pitch they claim is a first for such large-scale stadium designs. This accomplishes two things by first overcoming the height restrictions imposed by the airport and allowing for heat gain to be reduced throughout the stadium by using the pre-existing natural conditions. Gensler’s Tayomara Gama says their aim is to "create a new landmark venue" for the game globally. The firm led all other competitors last year with a reported $1.83 billion in revenue thanks in part to its investment in the growing market for sports architecture and stadium design. Image courtesy of Gensler Image courtesy of Gensler Image courtesy of Gen...

Renee Chow is moving on from her position as dean of the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design (CED) at the end of her current five-year term in 2026. Chow has been in the post in a permanent capacity since replacing Vishaan Chakrabarti in 2021 and, in that time, helped to revitalize the CED following COVID-19 while securing the largest donation in its history. Outside of academia, she is also a principal at Studio URBIS in Berkeley. In a statement, Chow said: "I’m not going anywhere just yet. We still have much to accomplish over the next 16 months, and I’m committed to supporting our vibrant CED community, world-class faculty, talented students, and dedicated alums."

BIG's Jinji Lake Pavilion design has been completed in the Lake District of Suzhou, China. The first images shared post-completion showcase its pixilated glass tile roofline, polished steel adornments, and site position along the waterfront and Jinji Lake pedestrian trail. Image: © StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta Image: © StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta The project has been labeled as the "little sister" to the new Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art that topped out last summer. It was further conceived to bear resemblances to traditional Chinese teahouse architecture while offering an updated take on the courtyard typology. A unified canopy shelters nearly 13,000 square feet (1,200 square meters) of "tranquil" public spaces. The pavilion is BIG’s first completed building project for the city. Image: © StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta Image: © StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta Like its larger cultural counterpart, the design roots itself in the Lake District’s naturalism and rich ga...

This week's edition of our curated career roundup from the Archinect Job board features 13 architecture schools in search of faculty, academic leaders, staff, and fellows. Preparing for a new job? Be sure to follow our Archinect Tips series to improve your portfolio, resume, and interviewing skills and increase your chances of getting that next job. Teaching Positions University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) seeks an Architecture & Urban Design Lecturer in Los Angeles "The UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design is creating a pool of candidates for the potential to teach courses in all areas of the department. Members of the pool would be called upon to teach lower division, upper division or graduate students during the 2024-25 academic years, as needed." Image courtesy UCLA Architecture and Urban Design/Facebook Virginia Tech seeks an Open Rank - Assistant/Associate/Full Professor, Architecture in Alexandria, VA "The successful candidate will be capable of connecting th...

Perkins&Will has completed the overhaul and rebuild of the Enchanted Hills Camp and Retreat, a 311-acre retreat for blind and visually impaired visitors in Napa, California. The project, commissioned by the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, was grounded in “reimagining the physical environment to more directly serve the goals of the camp.” Image credit: Emily Hagopian Image credit: Emily Hagopian The camp, which for 70 years provided blind and visually impaired visitors an “unparalleled opportunity for outdoor recreation and skills development,” was severely impacted by 2017 wildfires, with 14 buildings destroyed in the Lower Camp area. The reconstruction involved nearly 30 new buildings and extensive site infrastructure improvements, guided by a masterplan developed in collaboration with camp stakeholders. Image credit: Emily Hagopian Image credit: Emily Hagopian A key feature of the design process was the innovative approach taken to communicate plans to visually impaire...

Democratic politicians alarmed at the handling of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the new federal regime are leading a new push they see as necessary to forestall a worse turn into the housing crisis nationwide. A letter signed by five of the party's longest-serving Senate members states that efforts to deliver housing will "fall apart completely, only making our current housing crisis worse" if the mandated cuts are enacted without regard to their impact on that and other important HUD directives such as disaster relief and rebuilding. The Trump administration has reportedly considered cutting the overall size of the agency by half. Scott Turner, its new Secretary, has not yet made statements as to exactly how much or what programs specifically will be targeted by the Elon Musk-led DOGE downsizing. This could be negotiated to be less of a blow to the area of housing, however. As NPR noted: "Agency officials said some areas could face less-severe ...

Omar Gandhi Architects has completed a flagship store for luxury appliance company Fisher & Paykel in Toronto. Named the ‘Toronto Experience Centre,’ the store is located in the historic Boiler House of the former Toronto Carpet Factory in Liberty Village. Image credit: Doublespace Photography The scheme marks the brand’s fourth flagship experience hub, following locations in Auckland, London, and Melbourne. The 4,100-square-foot interior was designed to blend historic and contemporary design, with locally sourced stone, North American timbers, and red-hued plaster contrasting with the original red-brick masonry and industrial steel of the building. The design also incorporates sculptural elements and experiential zones to embody the brand’s ‘raw sophistication’ aesthetic. Image credit: Doublespace Photography “Weathered brick, textured plaster, and exquisite stonework combine to evoke emotional resonance,” Omar Gandhi said about the design. “The result is a layered and intimate spat...

Architect Stefano Boeri has received a one-year ban from being part of jury panels for public competitions as part of an investigation into bid-rigging and forgery. The decision was made by a judge in Milan, who also rejected the request for house arrest against Boeri and fellow architect Cino Paolo Zucchi by Milan’s Public Prosecutor’s Office. In addition to a one-year competition ban, Boeri is prohibited from “concluding” contracts with the public administration as an architect for one year, according to Italian outlet Agenzia Nova. Meanwhile, Zucchi received a “partial” suspension from the exercise of the public office of university professor and an eight-month ban from judging commissions of public contracts. The investigation stems from Boeri and Zucchi’s role as jury members for the 2022 competition for the European Library of Information and Culture in Milan.

The Chicago Plan Commission and Committee on Zoning has approved the construction of the KPF-designed 1325 West Fulton Street development. Archinect covered the scheme’s design last month, which is defined by a facade of brick arches. Developed for Sulo Development, the 859,000-square-foot project is the first of three planned towers for the full-block site in the West Loop neighborhood. The tower’s distinctive brick arches pay homage to the area’s industrial heritage while integrating modern design elements; a move KPF calls “rugged sophistication.” Image credit: Atchain via Kohn Pedersen Fox A shared podium serves as the base for the three towers, offering amenities and parking services. The development also includes publicly accessible pocket parks between the towers, creating pedestrian-friendly entryways and breaking up the structure’s overall mass. With zoning approval secured, the scheme will now seek final approval from the City Council. ...

The U.S. Department of Transportation has informed officials in New York State that it will be rescinding its approval of a congestion pricing plan affecting Manhattan in a policy turnaround directed by the new Trump Administration. The plan, seen by most as a progressive policy, had been in place for only six weeks after being inaugurated in early January and following a false start last June. Supporters had hoped it would raise $12 billion in revenues to support capital improvement projects for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In a statement, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the concept, which has faced legal opposition from the state of New Jersey and other commuter groups, a "slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners." AMNY.com adds: "It is unknown right now when or if the MTA will stop collecting congestion pricing tolls. Local transit groups, however, are prepared to fight back the Trump administration’s edi...

Three winners of the 2025 Brick in Architectural Education Prize have been announced jointly by the Brick Industry Association (BIA) and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Their vision in developing academic courses that champion the material and create stimulating learning environments through which students can learn sustainable design skills that apply to a range of different project types was recognized as both effective and nurturing of the next generation of architects. This year, winners explored the potential for Augmented Reality (AR) and computer-aided tessellating techniques in creating projects that touched on repurposing, public health, and designing for the circular economy. The competition was judged by Ahmed K. Ali of Texas A&M University, Lisa Huang of the University of Florida, and the BIA's Chip Clark. Each will receive a cash prize along with travel support for the course, students will get to visit a BIA-affiliated manufacturing facility, in...

New London Architecture has named the overall 'Home of the Year' winner and six other superlative projects at the culmination of the annual Don’t Move, Improve! competition, which is celebrating its 16th edition this year. The winners were selected from the jury's 14-entry shortlist. Federico Ortiz, the Head of Programme at NLA, said: "The architects have skilfully hollowed out the existing structure, creating unexpected volumes and flows that seamlessly integrate with the house’s original heritage. The inversion of the stairs, the removal of the garage, and the subtle manipulation of sections are all brilliant yet restrained moves. The use of recycled materials has created an environmentally conscious space that is both functional and homely. It’s a profoundly intelligent approach that remains grounded, never showy—simply exemplary."

The latest AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) for January has recorded a slightly slowing decline to 45.6. For the month, inquiries for new projects continued to rise at a steady, slow pace, while the value of newly signed design contracts dropped for the eleventh month in a row. This is the third consecutive ABI to record a decline. Any score below 50.0 indicates decreasing business conditions. Billings were shown to be soft across all regions and specializations. Firms with a commercial/industrial focus reported the most significant decline in business conditions, but weakness was observed across all sectors. Business conditions remained weakest in the Northeast, continuing a trend from recent months. "Stubborn inflation, persistently high interest rates, and labor concerns continue to weigh on the willingness of owners and developers to move ahead with construction projects," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "Architecture firms have been moving to right-size their...

A new Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued by the Vancouver Art Gallery after the departure of Herzog & de Meuron from its planned expansion was announced in late December. A group of 14 firms—highlighted by the return of past competition finalist KPMB—now have the chance to design a replacement for the Swiss firm’s vision for the Gallery’s new home. The new building's projected cost had surpassed $430 million USD before the plan was recalled. The 14 new firms include: Diamond Schmitt; Formline Architecture; Hariri Pontarini Architects; HCMA; KPMB; Michael Green Architecture; OMB; Patkau Architects; Perkins&Will; Revery Architecture; Saucier+Perrotte Architectes; Teeple Architects; and 5468796 Architecture. They will have until March 14th to respond with proposals. Related on Archinect: Vancouver Art Gallery cancels Herzog & de Meuron design plans Vancouver Art Gallery CEO & Executive Director Anthony Kiendl said of the new direction. "Our goal is to create a new building th...

From March 5th to June 2nd this year, the Centre Pompidou will be hosting a dynamic peak into the remarkable career of Hans Hollein's in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Following our previous look at an opening for a Co-Executive Director at the University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit Collaborative Design Center, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Designer at Lanserring. The role, based in New York, calls for an individual who will assist the company in “bringing kitchen and millworker designs to life.” Among the responsibilities for the role will be developing design briefs and presentations for millworker and interior fit out projects, as well as creating CAD plans and 3D visuals for proposed pieces. Among the essential skills required for the role is a knowledge of various material properties such as veneers, stone, metal, and leather. Image credit: Lanserring Why the role interests us The open role for a designer at Lanserring, one of three the company currently has advertised on Archinect Jobs, offers us the opportunity to explore a design studio dedicated to products bey...

HEC Montréal has unveiled its new Hélène Desmarais Building, a 258,000-square-foot facility designed by Provencher_Roy. Located in the Ville-Marie borough, the building marks a return to the business school’s original area, where it was founded in 1907. Image credit: Ema Peter Image credit: Ema Peter The building, named after notable businesswoman Hélène Desmarais, aims to provide a new space for education, research, and community interaction. The scheme’s design was guided by three objectives: “Opening up a dialogue paying homage to a remarkable heritage, establishing a downtown presence reflecting its international character, and supporting the principles of sustainable development by creatively applying current standards.” Image credit: Ema Peter Image credit: Ema Peter The resulting facility includes 27 classrooms, a 296-seat amphitheater, a research wing with over 10 research units, and various community spaces such as a library, cafeteria, and indoor garden. The layout connects th...

The memory of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s seminal Surrounded Islands project in Miami can be relived in-depth beginning this month at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. Opening February 23rd, the exhibition covers their longest-running American installation that was realized in Miami’s Biscayne Bay in May of 1983.

A new report has indicated some likely halts to FEMA’s disaster resilience policies and rules governing future rebuilding funds for public buildings located in flood zones. According to the New York Times, "Experts say the move, which has not been publicly announced, could endanger public safety and may be in violation of federal law." This previously undisclosed mandate comes as the new Trump Administration’s temp appointee Cameron Hamilton, a critic of the agency’s response to post-Hurricane Helene flooding in North Carolina last year, has led to speculation about the direction it might now be taking in league with the President's other initiatives.

Foster + Partners has updated its plans for the three-building The Round (fmr. 18 Blackfriars Road) mixed-use development in London. Billed as the city’s "lowest whole life carbon high-rise development" slated for 1 million square feet, the project revitalizes a brownfield site in Southwark that had been dormant for 20 years with public realm enhancements and other spaces defined by their wellness orientation and promotion of the car-free cities philosophy. The firm says it "complements the spirit and character" of Bankside and is also aimed to be the first high-rise scheme to achieve the UK's WELL Community Gold Standard. Image courtesy of Binyan Image courtesy of Binyan Image courtesy of Binyan

Inspiration and Tools for Architects

To specialize or not to specialize? For many architects, that is the question.

The post Jack of All Trades or Master of One? Architecture’s Identity Crisis and The Myth of Specialization appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. To specialize or not to specialize? This is a question that many architects have been struggling with for the past decade. In a market where the word “niche” has perhaps become the key to success, professionals in many industries attempt to drill down on their skills and become specialists in their respective fields. In the case of the architect, however, specialization might not be the straightforward answer for a successful career. Architecture is, by default, an interdisciplinary profession, where architects must consider many variables and broaden their knowledge in different topics to carry out a project. Consequently, they often have trouble communicating their value. Frankly, the phrase “the jack of all trades, master of none,” still significantly affects perception, especially in a market that seeks experts who can solve specific problems. More specifically, specialists are often seen as irreplaceable, commanding higher fees for their rare expertise in a particular field. For example, an architect specializing in passive house design or one dedicated exclusively to working with concrete is more likely to be trusted with such projects rather than a generalist with broader but less focused experience. Still, is the distinction between specialists and generalists truly so clear-cut? By examining a series of architectural practices — some renowned for their expertise in specific niches and others whose careers span diverse scales, typologies and contexts — we can explore the nuances of the architectural profession and the evolving nature of specialization. James-Simon-Galerie by David Chipperfield Architects, Berlin, Germany David Chipperfield Architects are known for undertaking sensitive restoration and adaptive reuse projects. The James-Simon-Galerie, for example, which serves as the new entrance for Museum Island in Berlin, completes the physical connection between the Kupfergraben canal and Neues Museum. The project’s architectural language adopts existing elements from Museum Island such as built topography, colonnades and outdoor staircases. In parallel, reconstituted stone and natural stone aggregate compliments the traditional limestone and sandstone found in the rest of the buildings, becoming a contemporary façade reinterpretation. National Museum of Qatar by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Al Corniche Street, Doha, Qatar Ateliers Jean Nouvel works are also highly contextual. The practice refuses to adopt a signature design approach, working in a range of projects — from skyscrapers to concert halls and museums — adapting designs to the respective cultural and environmental context. Specifically, the National Museum of Qatar is a project that emerged from the culture, physical context and untold stories of the Persian Gulf. The design intent was to give concrete expression to Qatar’s evolving identity whilst celebrating its rich history. Ouagadougou Parliament House by Kéré Architecture, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Kéré Architecture is a small firm based in Berlin, founded in 2005, specializing in socially conscious, community-driven architecture using local materials. The practice seeks to create economic and ecological building solutions for local situations in a global context. The Ouagadougou Parliament House in Burkina Faso was a project that signified the country’s new democratic values of transparency, openness and equality as well as become a catalyst for growth and development for the capital city. The design was inspired by local traditions, needs, resources and climates, opting for sustainable practices such as rainwater collection and solar shading. Finally, the building is successfully integrated within the wider community, providing a space for gathering, observation and public dialogue. Taipei Performing Arts Centre by OMA, Taipei City, Taiwan Speaking of urban impact, OMA is a leading architectural practice that mixes theory, urbanism and diverse project types, including public, commercial, cultural as well as experimental architecture. For instance, the Taipei Performing Arts Centre in Taiwan, revisits the functional and spatial properties of performance centers, suggesting alternative architecture for theatrical experimentation. By redefining the traditional theatre typologies — stage, proscenium, auditorium — the design draws from the immediate context and engages with the diverse public, operating as a tool rather than a landmark for Taiwan’s theatre production. These four examples are a mix of “specialists” and “generalists” architects. Still, regardless of whether David Chipperfield Architects are renowned for their adaptive reuse projects or how OMA are considered a broader, more wide-ranging practice, they all combine interdisciplinary knowledge with focused expertise. In fact, the traditional debate between generalist versus specialist architects feels increasingly outdated — a shift which aligns with the design thinking and business strategy concept of the “T-Shaped professional.” Architecture will never become a profession that can be broken down in smaller, isolated parts. Instead, the architects’ advantage is their ability to combine broad, cross-disciplinary knowledge with deep expertise in a specific niche. Ultimately, each professions’ trajectory is determined by its practitioners and interdisciplinarity is perhaps the biggest weapon in an architects’ arsenal. Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. Featured Image: James-Simon-Galerie by David Chipperfield Architects, Berlin, Germany The post Jack of All Trades or Master of One? Architecture’s Identity Crisis and The Myth of Specialization appeared first on Journal.

With a penchant for strong geometries, natural materials and daringly perched structures, these are the best architects in Slovenia.

The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Slovenia appeared first on Journal.

These annual rankings were last updated on February 21, 2025. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking. Albeit small, Slovenia is a captivating country. Bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, it has one of the most diverse architectural cultures of central Europe. It is also home to one of the richest and most diverse natural landscapes of Europe, stretching from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. Jože Plečnik, Slovenia’s most influential modernist architect, along with Ivan Vurvik, and his work regarding the iconic “Slovene National Style”, became the founders of the Ljubljana School of Architecture. Their unique architectural style amalgamated modernism, the Vienna Secession (a type of Art Nouveau) and past historical ideas and forms, which became the blueprint for the country’s contemporary architectural practice. This young generation of architects is passionately embracing environmentally sustainable designs both within dense urban fabrics as well as natural terrains. Modern structures, such as the Plečnik House and the Stožice Stadium, showcase a fusion of contemporary aesthetics and eco-conscious design principles, developing an extraordinary architectural identity and design practice within the country. 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 Slovenia 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 Slovenia architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Slovenia: 30. O+P>A, Ostanek Prekovič Architecture © Janez Marolt In architecture, our main interest is in how users experience it, and therefore the purpose or reason for an intervention or use of a specific material or detail. Rather than being engaged with forms, we focus on feelings and emotions our buildings create. It is crucial to work on the project from the preliminary sketch to the smallest details, as this is the only way to create a whole experience rather than merely architecture as scenery. Some of O+P>A, Ostanek Prekovič Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Apartments in Nature: Ortenia, Podčetrtek, Slovenia The following statistics helped O+P>A, Ostanek Prekovič Architecture achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 29. presledek. © presledek. presledek. is a design collective established by Vid Zabel and Barbara Zunkovic in 2015. The collective understands architecture as an unfolding systematic process that confronts and answers to series of different conditions. These conditions (historical, local, global, contemporary) are the grid and tools to utilize. The perception of singular individual as a user drives collective’s interest and it is also for us the main focal point in architecture. Engaging these individuals and forming new social interactions is one of the main concepts in work of the collective. We understand individuals as a means to work as a critical spatial praxis. The dialog within the collective and dialog between different other professionals, where we perceive future user as professional in his own set of rules and conditions of his way of life, is for us the tool in which our concepts are always tested and proven. Some of presledek.’s most prominent projects include: black thread on brass profile, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped presledek. achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 28. Prima © Prima d.o.o. Prima architectural office was established in 1990. The office uses multidisciplinary approach to projects of various scales from urban planning, architecture, interior design to stage design. Some of Prima’s most prominent projects include: In the Land of Capricorn, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia The following statistics helped Prima d.o.o. achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 27. Skupaj arhitekti © Janez Marolt Meta Kutin and Tomaž Ebenšpanger having worked as a team since 2011, both architects bring together their social sense and desire to discover beauty. In addition to residential architecture design they are also engaged in children’s and adults’ education and training. They have a favorable attitude toward a participatory approach of project planning and design, as they believe that this can result in a high quality of living style after residents move-in. They believe that architecture can be rational and poetic at the same time. Together with clients, they walk along the path of discovering architecture enhancing authentic perception of space, materials and architect’s minute details. Some of Skupaj arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: Living in Alpine Village, Stara Fužina, Slovenia The following statistics helped Skupaj arhitekti, d.o.o. achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 26. studio PIKAPLUS © studio PIKAPLUS The built and natural environment are inextricably linked. Architecture and interiors frame the views, glorify and enhance the qualities of the environment in which they find themselves. In STUDIO PIKAPLUS we are a team of architects and landscape architects who integrate architectural and landscape architectural projects through comprehensive solutions in respect for the environment and to enable the comfort of modern living. We produce comprehensive architecture projects, interior design plans and landscape architecture plans. Some of studio PIKAPLUS’ most prominent projects include: The Wooden house, Slovenia The following statistics helped studio PIKAPLUS achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 25. Gartner Arhitekti © Studio CAPN Gartner arhitekti was founded in 2010. Our field of activity covers everything from interiors and single-apartment buildings to larger and more demanding buildings, as well as energy renovations and renovations of buildings of all sizes. Regardless of the size, we try to create a functional, aesthetic, unique, and technically perfect product with each project. Some of Gartner Arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: Low-energy Sports Hall Mengeš, Mengeš, Slovenia Milka Boutique Hotel & Restaurant, Slovenia The following statistics helped Gartner Arhitekti achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 24. elastik © elastik Elastik is an international brand for networking and designing architecture, urbanism and media with other disciplines. We strive for performative and aesthetic improvement of buildings, for connectivity between functionality and technique. Elastik is an architectural studio organized as an international network of individuals who come forward to form project groups according to the specific requirements of a given project or of the client in question; hence, the name Elastik. In this context, Elastik works independently of various geographic and political borders, and as an adaptable meshwork. Some of elastik’s most prominent projects include: Mezzanine house, Ljubljana, Slovenia Harmonica House, Dolšce, Slovenia Facelift of a semi-detached house, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped elastik achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 3 23. Landscape © Tina Demšar Vreš We create gardens. We shape landscapes. Established by partners Gregor Vreš and Tina Demšar in 1998, Landscape d.o.o. brings a different way of looking at each design project. Our landscape architectural office focuses on creating modern luxury through fully integrated landscape and architectural designs with strong attention to detail. Through modern reinterpretation of heritage, the traditional and the indigenous characteristics of location, we create unique spaces. Some of Landscape’s most prominent projects include: BLED // Garden Village Bled, Bled, Slovenia ANKARAN // Urban park and plaza, Ankaran, Slovenia PORTOROŽ // Kempinski Palace Hotel, Portorož, Slovenia LJUBLJANA // Biotechnical faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia Garden of pure forms., Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped Landscape d.o.o. achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 13 22. AKSL arhitekti © Tamas Pal Founded in the year 2000 by distinguished architects Špela Leskovic and Aleš Košak, AKSL architects is a dynamic design firm that emerged from the hallowed halls of the Faculty for Architecture in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Both founders graduated with honors, setting the foundation for a future marked by innovation and excellence. AKSL architects operates at the intersection of architecture and interior design, bringing a holistic approach to their projects. Their portfolio reflects a commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration, drawing on the expertise of professionals from various fields. This inclusive approach ensures that each project benefits from a diverse range of perspectives, resulting in unique and well-rounded designs. Over the past decade, AKSL architects has transcended its origins, evolving into an international power- house that leaves its mark on a global scale. Some of AKSL arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: Bookstore Modrijan, Ljubljana, Slovenia Cafeteria Rog Restaurant Evergreen, Smlednik, Slovenia Restaurant Element, Ljubljana, Slovenia Design Boutique Hotel Sončna Hiša, Veržej, Slovenia The following statistics helped AKSL arhitekti d.o.o. achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 16 21. Studio 360 © Studio 360 STUDIO 360 is a company providing integrated solutions in the fields of architecture and branding. Ten years of experience, the combination of two- and three-dimensional expertise and many international awards guarantee our excellence, contributing to the strategic brand development, efficient results and client satisfaction. WE DO 360 is the architectural department that focuses on flexible design concepts and innovative building techniques that improve the quality of living. Every building receives a comprehensive solution: analysis of context, client’s brief, investment and construction technologies. We aim to achieve more with less, and creatively transform constraint into opportunity. Our know-how allows a smooth transition from concept to implementation. Some of Studio 360’s most prominent projects include: Geometric Residence, Ljubljana, Slovenia Bussiness society offices , Ljubljana, Slovenia Exhibition set, Ljubljana, Slovenia Kindergarten Ringaraja, Grosuplje, Slovenia Kindergarten Mavrica, Brežice, Slovenia The following statistics helped Studio 360 achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Total Projects 9 20. OD-DO architecture © OD-DO architecture, Navor OD-DO architecture was founded by architects Aleš Žmavc and Matic Škarabot in 2018. The company was founded as a result of receiving 1st prize in the public competition for the Footbridge over the Soča River in Tolmin, Slovenia. Since then we have completed over 100 successful projects and expanded our team with skilled architects and design professionals. Our designs cover more than 30,000 square meters of public, private, and commercial real estate, and we have collaborated with over 20 public and private companies. We work on a range of scales from interior design projects to large-scale urban developments. Our portfolio is a testament to our commitment to delivering innovative architecture, high-quality design, and value-driven solutions that meet the needs of our clients and generate value for users. Some of OD-DO architecture’s most prominent projects include: Comprehensive renovation and extension of the Kindergarten, Učenjak unit, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped OD-DO architecture achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 19. Fabrikat arhitektura © Fabrikat arhitektura d.o.o. Fabrikat arhitektura is an architecture and interior design based in Slovenia. Its work is centered around residential architecture. Some of Fabrikat arhitektura’s most prominent projects include: Comprehensive renovation and extension of the Kindergarten, Učenjak unit, Ljubljana, Slovenia House DMD, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia The following statistics helped Fabrikat arhitektura d.o.o. achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 18. Bevk Perović arhitekti © Bevk Perović arhitekti In 1997, Vasa J. Perović and Matija Bevk founded Bevk Perović arhitekti in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They work, alongside with the international team of 9 young architects, on a diverse range of projects, in different European countries. Since its beginnings the studio received wide international recognition. They have been awarded numerous national and international prizes (European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Emerging Architect Award in 2007, Kunstpreis Berlin in 2006, Piranesi Award in 2005, 5 Plečnik Prizes for best building of the year in Slovenia, 4 Golden Pencil awards by the Chamber of Architects, Prešeren Prize, the highest national prize for culture, awarded by the President of the Republic of Slovenia in 2005,etc) Bevk Perović arhitekti have recently won a few large international competitions – the competition for Refubrishment of Drama theatre in Ljubljana, the competition for Neue Galerie und Kasematten / Neue Bastei in Wiener Neustadt, competition for Highrise Apartment Building Nordbahnof in Vienna, Austria and most recently competition for New Court Building and Main Bus Terminal in Ljubljana. Some of Bevk Perović arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: The Cultural Center of European Space Technologies, Vitanje, Slovenia Apartment building Prule, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped Bevk Perović arhitekti achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 17. Jereb in Budja arhitekti © Jereb in Budja arhitekti d.o.o. The office was founded in 2007 by Rok Jereb (1975, Ljubljana) in Blaž Budja (1975, Kranj). They focus strongly on thoughtful and detailed architecture, emphasising relations between the local enviroment, funcionality and the client. They won several architectural competitions: Sports hall Stopiče (Novo Mesto, Slovenija), Ljubljana main train station (in colaboration, Slovenija), Kokra Canyon revitalisation (Kranj, Slovenija), Social housing (Ivančna Gorica, Slovenija) and others. Spots Hall Stopiče was awarded with main slovenian architecture award, Plečnik medal in 2012 and was nominated for the European Union Prize for Architecture Mies van der Rohe award 2013. Some of Jereb in Budja arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: Retirement Home Šmarje pri Jelšah, Šmarje pri Jelšah, Slovenia Mothers home Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia Stopiče Sports Center, Novo Mesto, Slovenia Occupational Activity Center INCE, Mengeš, Slovenia The following statistics helped Jereb in Budja arhitekti d.o.o. achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 16. scapelab © scapelab Scapelab is an architectural office established in 2001 by Marko Studen, who graduated from the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Architecture and GSAPP, Columbia University, New York. For six years he was director of Europan Slovenia, an international housing competition project, and a lecturer at both the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana and the University of California. He was an editorial board member of Piranesi Magazine and Art.si Magazine, and a member of national and international competition jury committees. He is a co-editor of European Urbanity: Europan 7 and 8, Austria and Slovenia (Springer Verlag, 2006). Boris Matić taught at the University of Ljubljana’s School of Architecture, served as an Executive Committee member of the Slovenian Chamber of Architecture, and has published contributions in outlets such as Hise and Mladina. Together with Jernej Sipos, they have been an integral part of Scapelab for more than ten years and joined as owners and partners in 2018. Scapelab was awarded the Piranesi Prize Honorable Mention (Cufar Square, 2005), the Golden Pen Award (Shared Space Slovenska Street, 2015), and the Plecnik Award (Technological Center Eles, 2019), among other national and international awards and commendations. Some of scapelab’s most prominent projects include: DR HOUSE, Slovenske Konjice, Slovenia SIMPLE HOUSE, Radovljica, Slovenia SUN PARK, Lucija, Slovenia Slovenska Boulevard, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped scapelab achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 15. Sanja Premrn © Sanja Premrn In our work, we do not distinguish between architecture and interior design. We strive to offer a holistic approach that encompasses all aspects of design. Some of Sanja Premrn’s most prominent projects include: SPIN bar, Kozina, Slovenia Ceramic studio reno, Slovenia Picerija in oštarija Tonca, Kozina, Slovenia Pizzeria Etna, Divača, Slovenia Concrete house, Bartlesville, Oklahoma The following statistics helped Sanja Premrn achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 6 14. AB objekt © AB objekt d.o.o. AB objekt is an architecture firm based in Celje, Slovenia. Its work is centered around residential architecture. Some of AB objekt’s most prominent projects include: Renovation of a house Slavik, Ptuj, Slovenia House on the edge of the forest, Sveti Jernej, Slovenia Holiday houses Oranda, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia House DB, Pongrac, Slovenia Restaurant House Denk, Zgornja Kungota, Slovenia The following statistics helped AB objekt d.o.o. achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 8 13. Tria Studio © Tria Studio Tria is an architecture studio that creates high-quality and innovative architectural solutions. Since its foundation in 2007, we have received numerous awards and distinctions in the field of architectural creation (public and invited competitions). Some of Tria Studio’s most prominent projects include: Farewell Chapel Tuhinj, Zgornji Tuhinj, Slovenia House Celje, Celje, Slovenia Economics Library, Ljubljana, Slovenia Benetton Flagship Store, Ljubljana, Slovenia Apartment Gradaška, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped Tria Studio achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 8 12. Arhitektura Jure Kotnik © Janez Marolt Arhitektura Jure Kotnik is an award winning architectural office located in Ljubljana (SI) and Paris (F). It was founded in 2006 by architect Jure Kotnik. The office works in various fields of architecture from research, design to consulting for various international clients. Office became widely known first for its projects in the field of container architecture and later for the research and design of educational architecture and hybrid architecture and design. Jure Kotnik is the author of bestselling first monograph of container architecture and author of several internationally published books and articles. Jure Kotnik has won various awards for its innovative approach in architecture and the projects have received worldwide media coverage. Some of Arhitektura Jure Kotnik’s most prominent projects include: Kindergarten Kekec, Ljubljana, Slovenia Kindergarten Jelka, Ljubljana, Slovenia Kindergarten Ajda 2, Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia 2+ Weekend House, Trebnje, Slovenia Šmartno Timeshare Kindergarten, Šmartno, Slovenia The following statistics helped Arhitektura Jure Kotnik achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 13 11. SADAR + VUGA © Miran Kambic SADAR+VUGA was founded by Jurij Sadar and Boštjan Vuga in 1996. Over the past two decades the company has been an incubator of critical European architectural practice focusing on open, innovative and integrated architectural design and urban planning. The office has a forward-leaping and often critical approach, covering a wide spectrum of production from urban planning to interior design. The stimulation for its projects comes from visual, audial and textual information, from art and fashion, science and technology, allowing them to generate a sensitive and responsive environment we live in. Some of SADAR + VUGA’s most prominent projects include: Air Traffic Control Centre, Zgornji Brnik, Slovenia Boutique Almira Sadar, Ljubljana, Slovenia The Cultural Center of European Space Technologies, Vitanje, Slovenia Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia Condominium Trnovski Pristan, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped SADAR + VUGA achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 40 10. abiro © Miran Kambič Under this name, a three room architects’ office was founded in 1998, but later it has been constantly expanding and changing. The current team is made up of Matej Blenkuš — head of the practice, Katja Cimperman and Anja Cvetrežnik, all of them graduated architects. Some of abiro’s most prominent projects include: Ski Jumps Planica, Rateče, Slovenia Wine Cellar, Brežice, Slovenia The following statistics helped abiro achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 9. SVET VMES © Matevz Paternoster SVET VMES was founded in 2010 as a non-formal creative group of architects from Ljubljana, Slovenia with an urge to question, explore and expose the potential of left over, ‘in-between’ spaces within educational and public buildings. By shifting between observation and action, SVET VMES analyses the existing dilapidated interior and exterior ‘in-between’ areas, to locate the sore points and to remediate, heal and transform them into places of events, potential, comfort, interaction, negotiation, delight and seclusion, inventing a new kind of ‘loaded’ interstitial typology. Our interventions of various scales allow us to instigate and explore new ‘in-between’ behaviors, encourage spatial sensitivity and emergence among people, challenge their daily patterns and disturb the existing social reality. SVET VMES has in the last years continuously modified and transformed into a venturous and research design practice, whose work was locally and internationally recognized, published and awarded. Some of SVET VMES’s most prominent projects include: Blue Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia School Landscape, Ljubljana, Slovenia Three Containers, Ljubljana, Slovenia Loggia, Ljubljana, Slovenia 9 Frames Hall , Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped SVET VMES achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 6 8. dans arhitekti © dans arhitekti In our office, DANS arhitekti we create spaces and culture in which we live, work, feel and socialize with each other. We are consciously exploring the relationship between people and built environment, we think about innovative ways of using the space and at the same time drawing from archaic building principles, exploiting the opportunities opened by sustainable construction, and the possibility of creating pleasant livable spaces. No matter if we are designing urban public spaces or facilities with focus on engineering and technology, large spaces with heavy flow of people or intimate ambiances we try to create different moods through use of nuances and careful details. Some of dans arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: Bicycle Bridge Across the Sava River, Bohinjska Bistrica, Slovenia Grosuplje Cultural Center, Grosuplje, Slovenia Renovation of terraced houses Progres – Mirje, Ljubljana, Slovenia Don Bosco Church, Maribor, Slovenia Holiday house BNKS, Novigrad, Croatia The following statistics helped dans arhitekti achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 7. Superform © Miran Kambic SUPERFORM is an innovative architectural practice from Slovenia, founded by Marjan Poboljšaj and Anton Žižek in 2001. It is successfully active in the field of architecture, interior, design and urban planning. Superform introduces a new approach: architecture is an experience, which we sense on the three levels of perception: mental level, sensual level and physical level. Every Superform project has a specific code. The code of the project is a sum of the perception levels and the specific name of the project, which classifies the story/saga of each project. With the project code, Superform communicates with the client and the public. Some of Superform’s most prominent projects include: House – Route Home, Maribor, Slovenia House – My little big world, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia Assembly and storage facility Tajfun, Šentjur pri Celju, Slovenia Kindergarten Cerkvenjak, Municipality of Cerkvenjak, Slovenia Apartment – Towards the sun, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped Superform achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 14 6. Atelje Ostan Pavlin © Virginia Vrecl Atelje Ostan Pavlin (Aleksander Ostan, Nataša Pavlin and collaborators) is architectural firm, active within broader field of living cultures that include planning, building, leading workshops, teaching, lecturing, researching, writing etc. The core of our interest lies within the concepts of responsible, sustainable living, planning and building paradigm in urban, rural and natural environments. We research diverse regional traditions of the world (anonymous architecture) on one hand and new, inventive, participative architecture on the other hand. We love to work in naturally and culturally diverse and sensible environments, being aware of the complex and critical situation the world is being in. We are reading the complex, multilayered context of each situation, trying to respond to the task in a complex, but simple way. Some of Atelje Ostan Pavlin’s most prominent projects include: Cycling and Pedestrian Bridge in Bohinj Slovenia, Radovljica, Slovenia Interpretation Center of Biodiversity and Pile Dwellings, Ljubljana, Slovenia Renovation of a residential house in Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia Tree House in Celje Urban Forest, Celje, Slovenia Family Chapel near Bovec, Bovec, Slovenia The following statistics helped Atelje Ostan Pavlin achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 16 5. dekleva gregoric architects © Flavio Coddou Photography dekleva gregoric arhitekti was set up in 2003 by Aljosa Dekleva and Tina Gregoric after returning from Architectural Association, London, where they have been both studying for their Master degrees. Aljosa Dekleva, M.Arch (AA Dist), b.1972, Postojna, Slovenia, 1998 graduated from Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2001 Master degree in Architecture with Distinction, DRL, Architectural Association, London, UK. Tina Gregoric, M.Arch (AA Dist), b.1974, Kranj, Slovenia, 2000 graduated from Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2001 Master degree in Architecture with Distinction, DRL, Architectural Association, London, UK. Some of dekleva gregoric architects’ most prominent projects include: Chimney House, Logatec, Slovenia Sunken design studio , Škofja Loka, Slovenia Compact Karst House, Vrhovlje, Slovenia Home at Arsenale – La Biennale di Venezia, Slovenian pavilion, Venice, Italy The Cultural Center of European Space Technologies, Vitanje, Slovenia The following statistics helped dekleva gregoric architects achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 14 4. Arhitektura © Arhitektura ARHITEKTURA is a company where the experience and ideas of two generations converge in a common cultural motive: making good architecture. Architecture that is both rational and poetic. Architecture which is the result of a wider spatial, historical, technological and social context, and is something that arises without predefined forms and is only just looking for its aesthetic justification. Architects, model-makers, interior and product designers are working in our office in Ljubljana. Together we have dedicated ourselves to enrich spatial life in the fields of architecture, urbanism and design since 1997. Some of Arhitektura’s most prominent projects include: Suha Private House Zois House Studios, Ljubljana, Slovenia Rafting Bridge, Celje, Slovenia Black Line Apartment, Ljubljana, Slovenia Folding Wall Apartment, Ljubljana, Slovenia The following statistics helped Arhitektura achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 12 Total Projects 21 3. SoNo arhitekti © SoNo arhitekti SoNo arhitekti – a modern interpretation of architecture. SoNo arhitekti unites a new generation of Slovenian architects to create a modern, high-quality architecture that is emerging as a mix of architectural theory, study and research of the sites’ locations, innovation and testing of new materials and construction methods. Our typical architecture is a complex, unconventional structure, that strides to be placed into the landscape as best as possible, satisfying the client’s desires and needs, efficiently including natural resources, which is reflected in the innovative floor plan solutions. Some of SoNo arhitekti’s most prominent projects include: House M, Slovenia House Re, Vrhnika, Slovenia Slovenian Pavilion EXPO 2015, Milan, Italy Mountain View House, Austria Musterhaus Wienna, Vienna, Austria The following statistics helped SoNo arhitekti achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: Featured Projects 15 Total Projects 53 2. OFIS architects OFIS architects is an architectural office based in Ljubljana formed by Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik (1998). They studied architecture at the Ljubljana School of Architecture (grad.1998) and at the Architectural Association in London (grad.2000). OFIS work negotiates between architectural projects in different scales (from 30m2 to 50.000m2), performing arts and set design. OFIS has partner firm agreements in London, Paris and Moscow. Their academic career involves teaching at Harvard GSD in Boston. Some of OFIS architects’ most prominent projects include: Alpine Shelter Skuta, Slovenia 3SHOEBOX HOUSE, Ljubljana, Slovenia Winter Cabin on Mount kanin, Kanin Alpine Ski Apartments, Municipality of Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Tetris Apartments Featured image: Hayrack Apartments, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia The following statistics helped OFIS architects achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 16 Total Projects 32 1. ENOTA © Miran Kambič Enota was founded in 1998 with the ambition to create contemporary and critical architectural practice of an open type based on collective approach to development of architectural and urban solutions. Over the years Enota has been constantly developing and from its beginnings it has served as creative platform for more than fifty architects. Enota is led by founding partners and principal architects Dean Lah and Milan Tomac. Constant changes and new complex situations in the world around us drive us to think about new ways of architectural and urban organization. In order to be able to produce answers to those new questions we believe it’s time to surpass the boundaries of conventional discipline set mainly by our cultural backgrounds. Some of ENOTA’s most prominent projects include: Ptuj Performance Center, Ptuj, Slovenia Češča Vas Pool Complex, Novo Mesto, Slovenia Češča Vas Pool Complex, Češča Vas, Slovenia Velenje Car Park, Velenje, Slovenia Wellness Plesnik, Mozirje, Slovenia The following statistics helped ENOTA achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Slovenia: A+Awards Winner 6 A+Awards Finalist 10 Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 33 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 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Slovenia appeared first on Journal.

Weighing the ethical implications of building artificial environments to shield humans from external weather conditions.

The post The Paradox of Climate Control: Utopian Escape or Environmental Hubris? appeared first on Journal.

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. Order your copy today. Imagine a circular dome filled with snowy mountain ranges, penguins and polar bears, situated in the desert outside Dubai. A sphere that acts as a new commodity and attraction for ski lovers who are tired of traditional destinations and wish to enjoy an exhilarating winter sports experience within a scorching barren land. Even though it was never built, the Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski-Dome was an actual project in the works in the early years of 2000. The project intended to bring winter and snow to the desert, as well as provide an alternative for permanent residents to escape the hot season with a new winter wonderland placed in their own back yard. Still, if we set aside the complexity and the required technology for such construction, the Ski-Dome acts as an evolution of other futuristic and even utopian architectural projects, all of which suggest an artificial container where weather conditions and local climates are controlled. Steve Yelvington, R. Buckminster Fuller with his domed city design, CC BY-SA 4.0 Examples such as Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, designed to create self-sustaining habitats, the Cloud Nine project, which proposed floating geodesic spheres capable of sustaining human life in isolated environments and the more recent Eden project in the UK, featuring interconnected biomes that house diverse plant species in controlled conditions, are all speculative proposals for constructing a new climatological “utopia.” Why is there such a big desire to control the weather? Is it a matter of power, convenience, spectacle or profit? More importantly, is it an ethical pursuit, or does it foreshadow a dystopian future where humans increasingly isolate themselves from the natural world instead of adapting to it? FotoFree, Eden Project roof hexagonal design, CC BY-SA 4.0 A contained, artificial “atmosphere” is not a foreign concept. In its simplest form, it is an air-conditioned house interior, that offers comfort and shelter from extreme weather conditions. In its more complex materialized form, it looks something like Montreal’s underground city, RESO. The FA house in Vietnam, for instance, designed by atelier tho.A was cladded in a translucent skin to protect the 20-year old structure from the direct impact of weather. Consequently, the house was transformed into a greenhouse maintaining a stable interior temperature all year round. FA house by atelier tho.A, Dalat, Vietnam On the other hand, the Butterfly Dome project by Gerber Architekten offers “social” as well as climatological protection. Situated on the bridge between areas of the KAFD the design aims to create an urban landmark and a peaceful oasis amidst the chaotic activity of the Financial District. The sphere’s contained microclimate allows an array of tree species to thrive, offering a breath of fresh and (ironically) filtered air amongst the dense urban landscape. Butterfly Dome by Gerber Architekten, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Is then the aspiration for climate control actually a need of protection? Are climatologically artificial, enclosed environments a necessity for survival and better living? Going back to the Dubai Ski Dome, this does not seem to be the case. Taking into account that the concept was first proposed in the early 2000s, when climate change was known but not as pressing an issue as it is today. Instead of serving as a response to environmental urgency, the Dubai-Ski Dome was going to be a part of Dubailand, and was seen more as an entertainment venue that somewhat hubristically defied the natural landscape and local weather conditions. However, contemporary architectural projects show that there is a shift from a luxury to an essential strategy for survival, in order to respond to the increasing global temperatures, rising sea levels, and extreme weather patterns. In truth, the dream of building enclosed environments to shield humans from external weather conditions is no longer just a speculative exercise — it is rapidly becoming a reality. However, with this new direction towards controlled climates, it is important to consider the unavoidable ethical and ecological implications. Will such environments be accessible to all or would they be considered a luxury for most people? In parallel, will they promote a seamless adaptation with nature, or would they encourage further environmental detachment? In our current climate crisis, the Dubai Ski-Dome may appear to be a utopian escape, yet it also serves as a glaring symbol of the very forces that led to this environmental degradation in the first place. Featured Image: Jürgen Matern, Eden Project geodesic domes panorama, CC BY-SA 2.5 The post The Paradox of Climate Control: Utopian Escape or Environmental Hubris? appeared first on Journal.

Whether rising from ruins or perched above rooftops, these architectural appendages show how buildings can expand without erasing the past.

The post Old Meets Bold: 8 Building Additions That Stack, Stretch and Reinvent Their Foundations appeared first on Journal.

Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories recognizing designers that are building a greener industry — and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work! Buildings don’t always need a fresh start — sometimes, the most compelling transformations happen by working with what’s already there. Whether by building within, above or around an existing structure, architects are finding new ways to expand spaces while preserving their original character. These additions take many forms. They can expand within existing shells, rise above rooftops or contrast old masonry with new materials. Whether bold or subtle, interventions like these adapt buildings for modern use, improving function, access and efficiency without erasing their history. From a rooftop village in Vienna to a copper extension rising from 15th-century ruins in Corsica, each of the eight projects in this collection introduces a bold new layer to an established setting. ESSCA School of Management Bordeaux By GUIRAUD-MANENC, Bordeaux, France Jury Winner, Architecture +Glass, 12th Annual A+Awards A 19th-century barracks is transformed into a teaching facility while preserving its historic perimeter walls. Instead of expanding outward, the new seven-story structure is built entirely within the existing shell, following strict urban design regulations that dictate its form and materiality. The original masonry walls stand as a solid base, while the new volume rises independently within them, detached yet framed by history. Off-white composite stone panels wrap the new construction, punctuated by glass brise soleil that filter light and reflect the surrounding city. A rooftop terrace at the fifth floor provides an open-air space, reinforcing the project’s approach—building inward while maintaining a connection to its context. The Perch By Nicole Blair, Austin, Texas A hairstylist and a landscape designer needed a flexible workspace that wouldn’t require them to relocate or disrupt their established backyard. The Perch, a compact 660-square-foot addition, sits above their existing bungalow, providing a separate studio while keeping the original home intact. Supported by four steel columns — three of which pass through the bungalow’s walls — it minimizes site disruption and maintains the property’s footprint. The new structure clearly contrasts with the original house. Corrugated Corten siding adds an industrial, low-maintenance exterior, while exposed white-painted steel emphasizes its distinct framework. Inside, warm wood finishes create a functional yet comfortable space. An open metal stair connects the two structures, maintaining access while visually distinguishing the addition from the traditional bungalow below. The Rebirth of the Convent Saint-Francois By Amelia Tavella Architectes, Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano, France The rehabilitation of the Convent Saint-François in Sainte-Lucie de Tallano preserves its 15th-century ruins while introducing a striking copper extension. Once a defensive stronghold and later a place of prayer, the historic structure had partially collapsed. Rather than reconstructing in stone, the new addition marks the lost portions with a lightweight, perforated copper volume that follows the outline of the original massing. This approach acknowledges the passage of time while maintaining the convent’s presence in the landscape. The copper will weather naturally, evolving alongside the historic stone, while filtering light through its lattice-like surfaces. The result is a clear distinction between old and new — one grounded in permanence, the other in transformation — ensuring the building’s history remains visible while serving new functions. The Refinery at Domino By Practice for Architecture & Urbanism | PAU, Brooklyn, New York Jury Winner & Popular Choice Winner, Commercial Adaptive Reuse Project, 12th Annual A+Awards The last standing structure of the Domino Sugar complex has been repurposed into office space while keeping its industrial identity intact. Built for sugar production, the 19th-century brick building was a dense collection of conjoined structures with small, uneven windows. Instead of modifying the exterior, a new glass volume is inserted inside, creating open, accessible workspaces while preserving the historic façade. The contrast between old and new is quite distinct. The weathered masonry remains, maintaining its form and texture, while the new vaulted structure introduces transparency and light. A perimeter atrium separates the two, allowing for daylight, greenery and views of the surrounding city. The result is an adaptive reuse strategy that respects the building’s past while making it functional for modern needs. Wybrzeże Theater By WAPA, Gdańsk, Poland The modernization of the Wybrzeże Theater preserves its mid-20th-century structure while upgrading it for contemporary performance needs. Originally built on the ruins of a pre-war building, the theater required careful intervention to improve functionality without compromising its place in Gdańsk’s historic fabric. The design shows a clear contrast between past and present. The foyer is enriched with color and material variety, creating a welcoming social space, while the auditorium remains restrained and focused on performance. Modern stage technology, improved acoustics and an optimized seating layout ensure an enhanced audience experience. A new rooftop terrace overlooking the old town introduces an additional venue for artistic events, expanding the theater’s role in the city’s cultural landscape. Radetzkystraße – A village on the roof By PPAG architects, Vienna, Austria An underused attic in a 19th-century Gründerzeit building was transformed into a series of contemporary apartments, adding density without altering the historic façade. Positioned 16 meters (52 feet) above ground, the new structures are nearly invisible from the street while offering panoramic city views. The existing building remains intact, while the addition introduces cubic volumes that step back from the street. A discreet elevator, integrated into the stairwell, opens onto a shared outdoor space that connects the residences. Designed in collaboration with future occupants, the apartments vary in layout, balancing openness and privacy. The result is an adaptive reuse that maximizes space while respecting the historic structure. Altinho By António Costa Lima Arquitectos, Lisbon, Portugal Popular Choice Winner, Architecture +Brick, 8th Annual A+Awards This project transforms an old warehouse along Lisbon’s waterfront into a new residence while keeping the original industrial structure intact. Rather than replacing the existing building, a house is inserted within its walls, creating a striking contrast between the two forms. The large-scale warehouse remains as a protective shell, while the new residential volume is suspended within, supported by an independent steel structure. The design emphasizes the separation of the old structure from the new addition. The warehouse’s perimeter walls and roof remain, preserving its historic presence, while the new structure introduces a different scale and materiality. Solid brick, iron and reinforced concrete define the residence, distinguishing it from the industrial past, but still maintaining a connection to it through its form. The result is a clear juxtaposition — one structure enclosing the other, each retaining its own identity. 712 Fifth Avenue Retail By Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, New York City, New York The renovation of 712 Fifth Avenue’s retail space improves visibility of its landmarked René Lalique windows while updating the interior for contemporary use. Originally, upper-level catwalks allowed close viewing of the Art Nouveau glasswork but obstructed sight lines from below. Removing the third and fourth-floor catwalks increases natural light and opens views from the ground floor, while the second-floor catwalk remains with an added wheelchair lift for accessibility. Material choices highlight the contrast between historic detailing and modern interventions. A light-toned palette reflects daylight to brighten the space, while glass railings and a viewing balcony introduce transparency. A new stone wall replaces catwalk extensions on the north side, creating a flexible backdrop for displays. Integrated lighting ensures the windows remain a focal point. Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories recognizing designers that are building a greener industry — and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work! The post Old Meets Bold: 8 Building Additions That Stack, Stretch and Reinvent Their Foundations appeared first on Journal.

From high-rise farms to rural homesteads, these projects show how architecture can bring food production back into everyday life.

The post Architecture Meets Agriculture: Cultivating Change, Designing for Dinner appeared first on Journal.

Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories recognizing designers that are building a greener industry — and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work! Urban space has never been neutral. Every square meter of a city is a decision — what gets built, what gets paved, and what gets planted. For centuries, food production was an integral part of those conversations. Medieval city walls enclosed orchards and grazing land, ensuring residents had access to fresh produce during sieges. In 16th-century Istanbul, Ottoman planners mandated fig, olive and pomegranate trees in courtyards, embedding agriculture into residential design. Edo-period Japan was the same, with Machiya townhouses extending into elongated gardens that sustained families with rice, vegetables and medicinal plants. By the 19th century, 14% of Paris’s land was dedicated to intensive market gardening, supplying the city with over 100,000 tonnes of fresh produce annually. Modern urban planning has largely erased this logic. Less than 2% of Paris’s land is now used for agriculture, a sharp reversal of its former self-sufficiency of less than a century ago. Land value, zoning laws, and infrastructure priorities have pushed food production to the periphery, severing the direct relationship between people and produce. Parks have become decorative, and edible planting is only seen as a community initiative rather than a public necessity. However, shifting climate conditions, resource instability and rising food costs are making people think differently. Productive landscapes are returning, and these eleven projects are showing all the ways that we can bring growing produce into the built environment. Taisugar Circular Village By Bio-architecture Formosana, Taiwan Popular Choice Winner, Sustainable Multi-Unit Residential Building, 12th Annual A+Awards Photos by Studio Millspace A former sugar factory becomes a prototype for self-sufficient urbanism at Taisugar Circular Village. The master plan is built around a closed-loop system where food production, waste management and energy use all function together. Edible landscapes provide fresh produce for residents, while composting and rainwater collection support agricultural cycles. Instead of adding token green spaces, the project treats farming as a key element of urban infrastructure, making food production an active part of daily life. Where the Pollinators Are By Didier Design Studio, State College, Pennsylvania Jury Winner, Sustainable Landscape/Planning Project, 13th Annual A+Awards Photos by Rob Cardillo Food production depends on pollinators, but urban environments very rarely make space for them. Where the Pollinators are corrects that oversight by designing architecture around the needs of bees, butterflies and other essential species. A series of sculptural habitats, built from reclaimed timber and perforated steel, provide shelter while supporting native planting that encourages biodiversity. By integrating pollination directly into the landscape, the design highlights the often-overlooked relationship between agriculture and ecology. A Waterfront Homestead Reborn: Restorative Design in the Yangtze Delta Polders By Shanghai Landscape Design Research and Institute, China Jury Winner, Sustainable Landscape/Planning Project, 11th Annual A+Awards Photographs provided by Shanghai Landscape Design Research and Institute Once a neglected rural settlement, the waterfront homestead has been transformed into a working agricultural landscape that restores both the ecology of the area and revives traditional farming practices of the Yangtze Delta. The design reintroduces aquaponic farming, reed beds and canals to manage water naturally while supporting food production. Terraced planting and floating gardens create a self-sustaining system that responds to the seasonal rhythms of the delta. Rather than replacing the past with something new, the project demonstrates how historic land management strategies can inform contemporary ecological design. Steirereck am Pogusch By PPAG Architects, Austria Jury Winner, Sustainable Hospitality Building; Jury Winner, Restaurants (L > 1000 sq ft), 11th Annual A+Awards Photographs by Hertha Hurnaus. Farm-to-table is taken literally at Steirereck am Pogusch, where the restaurant and its surrounding landscape function as a single, self-sufficient food system. Greenhouses, vegetable gardens and livestock enclosures ensure that ingredients are sourced on-site. The design uses a network of lightweight, semi-transparent structures to create enclosed growing spaces, extending the alpine farm’s productivity throughout the year. CapitaSpring By BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati, Singapore Photos by Finbarr Fallon Singapore has long experimented with vertical greenery, but CapitaSpring takes it to new heights—280 metres, to be exact. The mixed-use tower integrates sky gardens, rooftop farms and a multi-level “Green Oasis” into its design, embedding food production and biophilic space into the huge building. Its rooftop hosts Singapore’s highest urban farm, supplying fresh produce to local restaurants and residents. Within its multi-level sky gardens, different microclimates allow for a diverse range of crops to be grown throughout the year. With over 80,000 plants spanning its façades and terraces, the tower pushes the limits of how much nature a high-rise can hold. The project rethinks how high-density cities can approach food production, integrating agriculture directly into the built environment. Ørsted Gardens By Tegnestuen LOKAL, Denmark Jury Winner, Architecture +Renovation, 10th Annual A+Awards Photos by Hampus Berndtson For most city dwellers, personal outdoor space is limited to a small balcony. Ørsted Gardens reconsiders what these spaces can provide, turning them into fully enclosed greenhouses that extend the usability of urban balconies throughout the year. The design improves the building’s microclimate while giving residents space to grow herbs, vegetables and small fruiting plants. Rather than treating food production as something that requires expansive land, the project shows how even the smallest urban spaces can be adapted to support it. Beijing International Horticultural Exposition – Hong Kong Garden By Architectural Services Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China Popular Choice Winner, Architecture +Landscape, 10th Annual A+Awards Photos by Architectural Services Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Hong Kong usually builds upwards, not outwards, which doesn’t leave much room for growing food. The Hong Kong Garden at the Beijing International Horticultural Exposition tackles that constraint head-on, layering edible plants, aquaponic systems and vertical farming solutions into a dense, stacked landscape. Inspired by Hong Kong’s compact urban layout, the design integrates water-efficient farming techniques, nutrient cycling and productive greenery within a limited footprint. Joybo Farm By WeLive Architects, Mexico. Photos by INSPACE Agriculture normally sits on the outskirts. Out of sight, out of mind. Joybo Farm, the raw material planting base of the liquor production, however, does the opposite. A working sorghum farm, the land has been redesigned as a public space so visitors can walk through raised pathways and angular concrete pavilions. Connecting them to the process of production. The design makes farming not just visible but central, treating food production as something to be learned from and engaged with. Himawari Nursery School By Akaike & Tohyama Architects, Japan Photos by Masaki Hamada (kkpo) Rather than teaching children about food and farming in theory, Himawari Nursery School embeds it into daily life. The forward-thinking school is an open-plan timber building that is arranged around small edible gardens. Spaces where students grow and harvest their own food. The design encourages a very early connection to food cultivation, making agriculture part of the learning environment. With sliding doors that connect classrooms directly to the outdoor spaces, the project creates a seamless relationship between education and nature. Westhof Dübendorf By Shanghai Landscape Design Research and Institute, Switzerland Photos by Roman Keller Westhof Dübendorf combines agriculture with a rich community spirit. Instead of treating food production as something that happens elsewhere and resources being gathered individually, the project integrates working farmland into a large residential development. Livestock areas, crop fields and even market spaces are part of the site. Farming is part of the entire neighborhood here and the people work together to get what they need. Urbanization and agriculture don’t have to be in competition, when planned together, they can reinforce one another and provide residents a better quality of life. Fibonacci By Tono Mirai Architects, Croatia. Photographs by Photography&Concept studio BoysPlayNice Wine is one of the oldest forms of personal food production, and Fibonacci is a continuation of that tradition. Set within the terraced vineyards of Prague’s historic Jabloňka estate, the project restores a centuries-old winemaking landscape while introducing a new architectural intervention. A curved stone patio, inspired by the Fibonacci Spiral, creates a sheltered space for tasting and gathering while integrating comfortably with the landscape. . Carefully framed views reinforce the vineyard’s connection to the land, preserving an agricultural legacy that had nearly disappeared. Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories recognizing designers that are building a greener industry — and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work! The post Architecture Meets Agriculture: Cultivating Change, Designing for Dinner appeared first on Journal.

Low energy, high performance, airtight. Architects are turning their attention to building designs certified for cutting heating and cooling requirements.

The post Architecture 101: What is the Passive House (Passivhaus) in Design? appeared first on Journal.

Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories recognizing designers that are building a greener industry — and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work! Passive House is an architectural approaches that prioritizes materials and construction techniques that significantly reduce the emissions of a building. Technically speaking, the term should only be applied to projects that meet a specific standard. But what exactly does that mean? Characteristics of Passive House (Passivhaus) Paseo Mallorca 15 by OHLAB / oliver hernaiz architecture lab, Palma, Spain Is it Passivhaus or Passive House? What’s the difference? Passivhaus is the German translation of Passive House. The terms are interchangeable. What is the Passive House Standard in architecture? The Passive House Standard refers to an international building energy performance level. Ascertaining exactly how many buildings meet this criteria isn’t easy the International Passive House Association has accredited around 50,000 structures globally as of January 2025. The Passive House Accelerator puts the number at closer to 150,000 worldwide. Despite the name, the Passive House Standard can be applied to both residential homes (houses) and commercial properties. The globally recognized Passive House Standards are as follows: Up to 15 kWh per square meter of floor for heating and cooling. Up to 60 kWh per square meter for primary energy including water and electricity. Leak air up to 0.6 times the volume of the house per hour at 0.0073 PSI. It is also recommended that heat loads for heating source at design temperature is less than 10 watts per square meter. However, this is not compulsory. The standard was validated at the Passive House Institute, in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1996. Timber House by MESH Architecture, New York What are the five Passive House principles? The Passive House Standard can be met through a wide variety of techniques, but will always comply with the following core principles: Design must be free of thermal bridges where heat can easily escape. High quality insulation should be used continually throughout the structure. Construction has to be airtight. Ventilation systems should recover heat from the inside atmosphere and transfer this to fresh air. Superior windows — fully insulated and fitted with low-e glazing — are required. What are the benefits of building to Passive House Standards? Long-term cost savings and comfort are key reasons why people reach for Passive House Standards when designing buildings. Maximising energy efficiency means lower bills and other operating costs, well ventilated rooms are generally more pleasant to spend time in, and with less reliance on artificial climate control — and better air quality — there are also real health benefits. Passive House advantages go well beyond this, though. Environmental impact is significantly reduced, making this a planet-friendly type to architecture. This is likely to pay dividends in the future, as legislation relating to issues such as heat and electricity consumption tighten and the idea of active fines and punitive measures against those failing to meet new standards becomes a reality, in both commercial or residential settings. Seen in this light, ‘passive’ is also about future-proofing. History of Passive House Architecture Sendero Verde by Handel Architects, New York City, New York When did Passivhaus first rise to prominence and where did it originate? According to Passipedia — the largest passive house resource online — the very first Passive House was actually a ship — the Fram. This research vessel was completed in 1893, and built to survive harsh polar environments. Mastermind Fridtjof Nansen said at the time: “whether the thermometer stands at 22 above zero, or 22 below, we have no fire in the stove.” More recognisable Passive House designs began to appear in Europe during the 1970s. Key examples include Copenhagen academic Professor Vagn Korsgaard’s DTH, the world’s first zero energy house developed at the Technical University of Denmark. Around that time, doctors Horst Hörster, Bernd Steinmüller, Günther Bergmann, Richard Bruno, Wilhelm Hermann, Reinhard Kersten, and Klaus Klinkenberg built their own super-insulated low energy experimental home in Aachen, Germany. Studies suggesting potential energy saving of 10 to 20 times compared with regular European and North American houses. Meanwhile, in Canada and Colorado, William A. Shurcliff and Wayne Shick, and Amory Lovins, were also working on their own concepts. While these examples laid the foundations for today’s passive houses, they also had some serious problems. Poor performing windows, a lack of awareness about the importance of long-term airtightness — something Swedish Professor Arne Elmroth played a pivotal role in addressing — and comparatively rudimentary energy technology were among the most glaring issues. Taking this into consideration, the Passive House principle can’t really be traced to a singular genesis. As Passipedia explains, it was “not ‘invented” by anyone”, but discovered through a long process of trial and error. Comparable examples have existed in countries and regions such as Iceland, Southern China, Iran and Portugal, for centuries, with many indigenous construction techniques relying on natural climate control and other elements. However, if we had to put a date on the first building to comply with the Passive House Standard then Kranichstein Passive House, Darmstadt, Germany, is recognised as the earliest. Vital Brookdale by Dattner Architects, Brooklyn, New York Where is Passive House design most popular or widespread? Germany is currently home to the most Passive House Standard certified buildings. Which makes sense, considering the concept was first validated there. Specifically, Bahnstadt, Heidelberg, is cited as the largest passive house district on Earth. Austria is also considered a global leader in this approach, which has also found popularity in a number of other Northern European nations. Nevertheless, increasing numbers of these buildings are cropping up in places like UAE, Argentina, Sweden and the US, a trend that reflects a growing recognition this can be applied in a broad variety of climates. Although fixed numbers relating to the increasing prevalence of passive houses are hard to come by at a global level, the Passive House Accelerator reports that New York City introduced 3million square feet of passive homes in 2024, up from 1.82million in 2021. Case Studies and Examples of Passive House Buildings The Rye Apartments by Tikari Works, London, United Kingdom What are some famous architects and firms associated with Passive House design? MESH Architectures – Eric Liftin’s “hybrid architectural practice” designs for both IRL and online, with the focus on low impact projects delivered through accredited Passive House expertise. Prewett Bizley Architects – Founder Michael Ingui is the guy who set up Passive House Accelerator and created Manhattan’s first ever certified Passive House — a stunning Renaissance Revival-fronted, late-19th Century townhouse. Steinsvik Arkitektkonter AS – Situated in Tromsø, northern Norway, the neighbourhood of Storelva sits next to a spectacular ford and takes its name from a tributary river. Here, you’ll find ‘northern passive houses’ I-Box 120 and Storelva by veterans Steinsvik Arkitektkonter AS. TECTO ARHITECTURA – Bucharest, Romania-based “ECOthinking – ECOtechnology” specialist TECTO makes no secret of its commitment to sustainable architecture. Like the PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN in a beautiful inner-city forest. Abendroth Architekten – Energy efficiency comes as standard with Austria’s Abendroth Architekten, which sees Passive House design as a “daily building challenge.” Ville Verdi by ALBERT WIMMER ZT-GMBH, Vienna, Austria What are famous examples of architecture built to Passive House Standards? Passivehaus by Professor Bott / Ridder / Westermeyer: Probably the most famous Passive House on the planet is found in Darmstadt, Germany, where Bett, Ridder and Westermeyer completed the very first homes built to this standard in 1993. Paseo Mallorca 15 by OHLAB / oliver hernaiz architecture lab: For many people Palma means a charming harbour and the spectacular Gothic Roman Catedral-Basilica de Santa Maria. Paseo Mallorca 15 is a much newer landmark, made to Passive House standards in 2022. Vital Brookdale by Dattner Architects: Passive House dieting isn’t usually associated with affordable homes, which is why Dattner’s King’s County, Brooklyn community project really stands out — a 160 unit, 25,000 square foot rarity. The Rye Apartments by Tikari Works: Ten homes in landmark building at a well-appointed position on a London street offer whole-house heat recovery ventilation, high performance solar controlled glazing and air-tight interiors. Ville Verdi by ALBERT WIMMER ZT-GMBH: Finished in 2009, Ville Verdi manages to jostle for our attention next to two of the most iconic structures in Vienna’s 11th District. Made up of five buildings, this complex is a great example of a Passive House community. The Future of Passive House Design Passivhaus Institut, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Are Passive House principles being diffused and integrated into popular architecture? Increasing numbers of Passive House designs worldwide suggest a gradual mainstreaming of these principles, although certification still only covers a tiny minority of all construction projects. However, ‘passive elements’ are now much more commonplace in ‘standard’ developments, even if the project doesn’t meet all standards. For example, insulation and low impact or renewable heat sources, trends driven by net zero needs and exacerbated by the post-pandemic era of uncertain energy costs. Are prices coming down on the materials required for building to Passive House Standard? In 2019, the UK Passiv Haus Trust reports an average cost increase of 8% for developments that meet passive standards. This was significantly down on the 15-20% additional investment needed back in 2015. The organization predicts overheads could fall to just 4% more than regular building designs in the coming years as the industry scales up. Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories recognizing designers that are building a greener industry — and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work! The post Architecture 101: What is the Passive House (Passivhaus) in Design? appeared first on Journal.

Fans are turning film sets into must-visit destinations and, in the process, are reshaping cities, architecture and even regulations.

The post Set-Jetting: How Film Tourism is Changing Real-World Landmarks appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. At some point in the last decade, the idea of a “cultural pilgrimage” has shifted from tours of cathedrals in Europe and exploring ancient ruins in Asia to snapping a selfie outside that particular brownstone in New York or running full speed up a certain set of museum steps in Philadelphia. Every day, sites around the world are flooded with visitors who, thanks to their portrayal in TV shows and movies, are more interested in a landmark’s on-screen role than the true history of the architecture. The medieval streets of Dubrovnik have been recast as King’s Landing, Matamata in New Zealand has been known as Hobbiton since the early 2000s, and in Albuquerque, the owners of a perfectly ordinary family home have had to install a fence, not for security but to deter Breaking Bad fans from lobbing pizzas onto their roof. It’s a phenomenon that is changing urban landscapes and, in some cases, requiring quite extensive intervention. Unlike traditional tourism, which at its core is cultural appreciation, film-induced travel, otherwise known as “set-jetting,” is obsessively specific. It doesn’t focus on a certain city or a period of history with broad geographical bearings. A single storyline, character or shot is what is important to fans. They want to stand in the exact spot where their favourite character was triumphantly victorious or mercilessly executed. In the process, they’ve arrived in droves and altered the significance of these singular places, creating shrines of pop culture. Highclere Castle, United Kingdom | Photo by leefenn-tripp via Pixabay. For some locations, it’s a financial lifeline, pouring fresh revenue into a building that might otherwise be in disrepair. For others, it becomes more of a burden than a blessing. For better or worse, film-induced tourism has become a global sensation. As streaming services flood our screens with expansive universes, fans increasingly want to walk in the footsteps of their favourite fiction. Yet it isn’t merely the novelty of fans running around in cloaks or brandishing plastic swords that makes fan pilgrimages great. On a deeper level, these pilgrimages are changing the way in which entire communities and their architecture survive. For some buildings, cinematic fame provides a second life by injecting huge amounts of revenue. If Highclere Castle, the grand 19th-century estate immortalized as Downton Abbey, had relied solely on heritage grants and private funding, it might have suffered the same fate as countless stately homes across Great Britain. Partial closure, dwindling maintenance or an ignoble transformation into a corporate events venue is a story told year in and year out. Instead, since the show’s debut, the estate has welcomed over 120,000 visitors a year, pouring revenue into much-needed roof repairs and historically accurate conservation work that might otherwise have been impossible. In the decade since Downton Abbey first aired, ticketed tours and spin-off events have funded repairs on over 50 rooms, helping the estate maintain its integrity without compromising its history. A similar story unfolded with the Hatley Castle in Canada, a popular film location for over 80 years. See X-Men and Deadpool as recent examples. Dubrovnik, Croatia | Photo by Ioannis Ioannidis via Pixabay. However, for locations with genuine architectural or historical significance, film tourism can be a double-edged sword. The streets of Dubrovnik, now synonymous with Game of Thrones, have seen an explosion in foot traffic, with over 4 million overnight stays recorded in 2019 — double the numbers from 2012, when the series first aired. The historic limestone streets, some over 700 years old, have suffered serious erosion under the weight of tourists, leading UNESCO to recommend stricter visitor management strategies. In cases like this, preservation authorities struggle with a fundamental question: should a site continue to be protected for its actual history, or should it evolve to accommodate the identity given to it by popular culture? The latter isn’t as absurd as it sounds. After all, heritage is often shaped by perception as much as fact. The difference is that in traditional historic preservation, the narrative is that of real events. With film tourism, it is dictated by a storyline that has no direct connection to the site itself. Skellig Michael, County Kerry, Ireland | Photo by NakNakNak via Pixabay In truth, some places simply weren’t designed to handle their newfound popularity. Skellig Michael, a 6th-century monastic settlement off the Irish coast, saw visitor numbers surge from 11,000 to 17,000 annually after its role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. While its dry-stone beehive huts have withstood centuries of Atlantic storms, they are far more vulnerable to human impact. The narrow stairways, never intended for large crowds, face accelerated erosion, prompting conservation authorities to also introduce strict visitor caps and controlled access points. The architectural imprint of film tourism doesn’t just affect existing buildings either. It influences future development. In cities eager to capitalize on cinematic fame, new projects have been seen to take design cues from fictional worlds, ultimately reshaping the architectural vernacular of a place. Tribune Tower Conversion by SCB, Chicago, Illinois For instance, Chicago’s postmodern skyline has played the role of Gotham City many times, with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy using the city’s real streets and skyscrapers to depict Batman’s cinematic world. In the years following, multiple new high-rise developments have adopted darker glass façades and angular silhouettes, mimicking the aesthetics of Gotham’s on-screen identity. Whether deliberate or not, film-driven perception feeds back into the real world, influencing design choices in profound ways. Hotel Marcel by Becker + Becker, New Haven, Connecticut Likewise, on a broader scale, the revival of Brutalism in contemporary architecture can, in part, be attributed to shifting cultural feelings about the style that everyone once hated. Once regarded as ugly relics, the worst of mid-century design, the stark, imposing concrete structures have become essential backdrops for dystopian productions. Andor, The Last of Us and even Blad Runner 2049 all adopt a brutalist aesthetic, making it popular once more. This renewed visibility has fuelled a growing appreciation for Brutalist icons, recognizing them as sought-after cinematic settings. In most cases of popularity as a result of set-jetting, the challenge lies in finding a balance between welcoming the cultural and economic benefits without sacrificing architectural integrity. For some, this means enforcing crowd management strategies for protection. In others, it might involve leaning into a site’s newfound cinematic legacy and using it as a means of reinvention. The most sustainable approach is one that acknowledges that a building can be both historically significant and culturally redefined and that architecture can exist in a state of continuous reinterpretation without losing its core identity. Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. Top image: Hobbiton in New Zealand by hunt-er via Pixabay The post Set-Jetting: How Film Tourism is Changing Real-World Landmarks appeared first on Journal.

Sharp angles, curved walls and unexpected voids: these projects rethink the A-frame, proving it’s more than just a classic cabin shape.

The post Atypical A-Frames: 7 Projects That Push the Limits of a Classic Form appeared first on Journal.

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. Order your copy today. The A-frame has long been associated with cabins and alpine retreats, its steeply pitched roof designed for shedding snow and maximizing loft space. While its iconic triangular form remains instantly recognizable, architects today are pushing its boundaries— splitting, curving, multiplying and fragmenting the shape to create something new. Some reinterpret the A-frame by splitting its structure to create courtyards and unexpected openings, while others soften its rigid angles with curved walls or multiply its peaks into sculptural compositions. New material approaches, from prefabricated timber to cast aluminum tiles, further expand its possibilities. This collection shows how a familiar architectural form can be pushed in unexpected directions, adapting to new contexts while maintaining its distinctive character. Harudot By Nana Coffee Roasters By IDIN Architects, Tambon Samet, Thailand Jury Winner and Popular Choice Winner, Restaurants (L > 1000 sq ft), 12th Annual A+Awards Harudot Café offers a fresh take on the A-frame, pulling apart its gabled forms to create a central courtyard where a bottle tree (baobab) rises through the architecture. This break-in structure reinforces the café’s theme of new beginnings, connecting built space with nature. Inside, rigid lines soften into fluid curves, with continuous ribbon-like seating guiding visitors through the space. Skylit voids and Barrisol ceilings diffuse light, reflecting the openings in the courtyard. Terrazzo floors feature floral inlays and playful embedded text, while outdoor seating incorporates coffee grounds, rice husks and leaves. Every element, from material choices to custom typography, transforms the café into a layered, interactive experience. Bunkie on the Hill By Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, Muskoka District Municipality, Canada Popular Choice Winner, Private House (S 1000 – 2000 sq ft), 12th Annual A+Awards The smallest in a collection of family cabins, Bunkie on the Hill reinterprets the A-frame with a split roof design, where two intersecting gables create openings for framed views and natural light. Positioned atop a steep slope, the compact retreat offers a quiet escape from the larger cottages below. The shifted roof volumes echo the layered shale rock of the region, while the geometry carves out distinct elevations—a glazed façade facing the lake and a more enclosed side opening to the forest. Inside, built-in nooks maximize space and natural materials like oak, maple and cedar contrast with the raw board-formed concrete base. Designed with passive insulation and FSC-rated wood, the cabin sits lightly on the landscape, adapting to its surroundings over time. Kujdane By Shomali Design Studio, Gilan Province, Iran Popular Choice Winner, Private House (S < 3000 sq ft), 10th Annual A+Awards Kujdane Cabin reinterprets the A-frame, splitting its iconic form with a vertical glass passage that introduces natural light and unexpected openness. Instead of sharp-angled corners, the structure adopts a softened, curved roofline, creating a distinct contrast with its traditional counterparts in the forests of northern Iran. Suspended above the ground on a horizontal concrete slab, the cabin’s floor-to-ceiling glazing frames uninterrupted views of the landscape. Inside, a compact duplex layout maximizes space, with an upper-level bedroom and study overlooking an open kitchen and living area. Wood and muted-grey tones define the interiors, reinforcing a sense of warmth and refuge. By deconstructing and reshaping the familiar, Kujdane offers a fresh take on the A-frame retreat. SANU 2nd Home By ADX inc, Japan Jury Winner, Sustainable Hospitality Building, 12th Annual A+Awards Designed as part of the SANU 2nd Home subscription service, this cabin responds to the growing need for remote work and time in nature. Its A-frame structure takes on a distinctive honeycomb-inspired form, reinforcing the frame while evoking mountain peaks. Inside, curved cedar walls divide the space into distinct yet flowing zones, keeping the layout organized for work, rest and gatherings. Floor-to-ceiling windows open the cabin to its surroundings, while the natural scent of wood enhances the experience. Built for Japan’s humid climate, the elevated floor prevents moisture buildup and high-performance insulation and vacuum glass ensure comfort in all seasons. Computer-assisted design techniques made the precise curvature of the walls possible, shaping a retreat that balances function and immersion in nature. Futtsu Weekend House By Atelier MEME, Chiba, Japan Futtsu Weekend House reinterprets the A-frame with a fragmented, asymmetrical roof that extends dramatically toward the ground. Instead of a single triangular volume, the structure divides its roof into four sweeping sections, creating deep overhangs that shelter the home while framing views of the surrounding sea and mountains. The contrast between the exposed timber rafters and the solid base emphasizes the weight and movement of the roof, making it an active part of the living experience. By breaking apart the traditional A-frame, the house achieves a sense of openness while still maintaining the protective, tent-like quality that defines the typology. Double A’s By Ion Eremciuc Architects, Romania This dual A-frame retreat reworks the traditional form, linking two angular volumes through a central shared space. The connection creates both privacy and openness, allowing residents to experience the landscape from multiple perspectives. Dark, sharply pitched roofs contrast with floor-to-ceiling glass, framing expansive views of Bran’s forested surroundings. Inside, the layout balances communal gathering areas with quiet, secluded bedrooms. High ceilings and panoramic windows define the living spaces, while private terraces with hot baths extend relaxation outdoors. Marble finishes and soft, neutral tones bring warmth to the interiors, reinforcing a refined yet grounded atmosphere. Sayama Forest Chapel By Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP, Tokorozawa, Japan Popular Choice Winner, Religious Buildings & Memorials, 4th Annual A+Awards This unique chapel transforms the A-frame into a sculptural composition of interlocking gables. The structure rises like a forest canopy, with walls that lean inward to avoid tree branches, creating a meditative enclosure. Unlike a traditional A-frame, which forms a singular pitched volume, this chapel multiplies and angles its forms, resulting in a rhythmic, faceted structure that channels light and air. The sharply peaked entrances recall the familiar triangular profile but are reworked into a fluid, organic arrangement that feels both ancient and contemporary. Through this reimagined geometry, the chapel retains the essence of an A-frame while dissolving its rigid symmetry, embracing the surrounding landscape with an almost ethereal presence. 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. Order your copy today. The post Atypical A-Frames: 7 Projects That Push the Limits of a Classic Form appeared first on Journal.

These architecture firms are leading the way in Australia and beyond.

The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Australia appeared first on Journal.

These annual rankings were last updated on February 14, 2025. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking. What goes on Down Under? With such a large body of water separating this Oceanic country from the rest of the Western world, it is easy to forget Australia’s similarities to its North American counterparts. When it comes to the built environment, Australia’s architectural landscape is filled with trends and advancements quite similar to those explored in the West. Nevertheless, the country maintains a distinct architectural lexicon rooted in its particular climate, landscape, Indigenous heritage and colonial past. The country’s Western influence can be attributed to the British colonial period, which is apparent today in the Victorian-style homes and Gothic churches found all over Australia. The nation also maintains a keen interest in heritage, with structures such as the famed Sydney Opera House, Australian Convict Sites and Royal Exhibition Building receiving UNESCO Heritage status. Beyond its British ties lies an incredible landscape well-suited for architectural exploration and indoor-outdoor living as well as a commitment to ecologically responsible design. 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 Australia 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 Australia architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Australia: 30. Biasol Studio © Biasol Studio Biasol is a multidisciplinary studio producing infinite designs across interior spaces, building typologies, products and branded environments. Some of Biasol Studio’s most prominent projects include: Jury, Melbourne, Australia The Milton, Melbourne, Australia Kitty Burns, Melbourne, Australia No. 19, Ascot Vale, Australia Gwynne St Studio, Cremorne, Australia The following statistics helped Biasol Studio achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 23 29. Elenberg Fraser © Elenberg Fraser Elenberg Fraser is an integrated architecture, interior design and urban design practice operating across the Asia-Pacific region since 1998. With a track record in delivering projects that are both design and market-driven, our buildings prove that invention and good design lead to economic, social and environmental benefits. Some of Elenberg Fraser’s most prominent projects include: Luna, St Kilda, Australia Huski Hotel, Falls Creek, Australia Elm, Australia Ikebana, Melbourne, Australia St Boulevard, Melbourne, Australia The following statistics helped Elenberg Fraser achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 49 28. Candalepas Associates © Candalepas Associates Candalepas Associates is a rare company having produced a unique array of projects with diversity in scale and typology. Projects from religious buildings to public parks, individual houses to large multi-residential developments have been produced by the firm. In twenty years’ practice the firm has been the recipient of over 30 awards in architecture and almost every project the firm has completed has been published or awarded State or National Architecture Prizes including the Sulman Medal (twice), The Frederick Romberg and Seidler National Awards in Architecture, the Aaron Bolot Award numerous times and the Premier’s Award. The success of the firm is closely related to the direct engagement undertaken by Director, Angelo Candalepas in every stage of the procurement of the work. Some of Candalepas Associates’ most prominent projects include: Punchbowl Mosque, Punchbowl, Australia 29-35 Prince Street, Cronulla, Australia Francis Street, Bondi, Australia All Saints Gymnasium, Sydney, Australia Marrickville Apartments, Marrickville, Australia The following statistics helped Candalepas Associates achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 10 27. Jackson Clements Burrows © Jeremy Weihrauch JCB is an award-winning architecture, interior design and urban design practice established in 1998 by Tim Jackson, Jon Clements and Graham Burrows. Our team of over 70 design professionals is united by a shared commitment to the delivery of innovative design solutions. JCB is driven by core design principles that allow us to explore each new project afresh and an approach that is site sensitive, engaged with local climatic conditions and adaptive to contextual opportunities. Our methodology is iterative and develops through our engagement processes which embrace close collaboration with the client, stakeholders and the community, along with a deep understanding of the site and history. We collaborate across sectors and disciplines, understanding that learning lessons can come from everywhere. Some of Jackson Clements Burrows’ most prominent projects include: Upper House, Carlton, Australia South Melbourne Life Saving Club, Albert Park, Australia Moonlight Cabin, VIC, Australia Henley Street, Barwon Heads, Barwon Heads, Australia Harold Street Residence, Middle Park, Australia The following statistics helped Jackson Clements Burrows achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 8 26. Silvester Fuller © Shannon McGrath Silvester Fuller is an award winning architecture and interior design studio based in Sydney Australia. Behind our design process is a commitment to discover the hidden potential within each project. We approach each project as a unique challenge, yet all are focused on creating environmentally, socially and economically sustainable spaces for living. Our work spans a broad range of project types including public, residential, commercial, hospitality and education. Our projects share a rationality of thought, often with surprising outcomes. To identify unique project concepts our team of talented architects and designers draws on expertise and perspective from a diverse range of disciplines and cultural influences. Some of Silvester Fuller’s most prominent projects include: Froebel Carlton , Melbourne, Australia 18 Loftus Street, Sydney, Australia Table Cape Resort, TAS, Australia Froebel Play Pods, Sydney, Australia Dapto Anglican Church Auditorium, NSW, Australia The following statistics helped Silvester Fuller achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 10 25. WALA © WALA WALA is an emerging architectural studio based in Melbourne. We provide architectural, interior and design services across a diverse range of projects. The studio is composed of passionate designers and individuals who all share a keen focus on intuitive and sustainable design. Our residential projects form the true backbone of the studio. We take pride in working intimately and collaboratively with homeowners, with particular emphasis placed on ensuring that each new home complements their lifestyle and sense of individuality. We believe that thoughtful and purposeful design solutions can often create the most elegant results. Some of WALA’s most prominent projects include: Downside Up House, Albert Park, Australia The Little Man Cafe, Seddon, Australia Henry House, East Melbourne, Australia Coburg Freeboard House, Coburg, Australia Open Shut House, Kooyong, Australia The following statistics helped WALA achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 6 24. Carter Williamson Peake Architects © Neuman Studio Architecture is the construction of ideas represented as sequences of space illuminated by natural light. These ideas form the spaces we live in, move through, and feel better for having been in. Good architecture should allow us to feel safe and secure, confident and expressive, quiet and reflective. Good architecture should make our lives better. This is what we do at carterwilliamson and is what you can see in the images on our website.We are often asked what is our area of specialization. We specialize in design. We specialize in thinking about your needs and your building. We specialize in making good architecture. Some of Carter Williamson Peake Architects’ most prominent projects include: Dining Hall, The Rocks Balmain House, Australia Green House, Rozelle, Australia Upside-Down-Back-To-Front-House, Rozelle, Australia Balmain Sandstone Cottage, Sydney, Australia The following statistics helped Carter Williamson Peake Architects achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 9 23. John Wardle Architects © John Wardle Architects Our practice has evolved from a smaller studio into a larger collaborative environment where every project has a range of creative, technical and strategic contributions from a diversity of architects and interior designers within JWA. Beyond the office, our engagement with others is similarly inclusive, always curious to understand another’s point of view. Many projects by JWA have been highly awarded. This includes twice being recognized with the prestigious Sir Zelman Cowen Award for best public building in Australia in 2002 and 2006 by the Australian Institute of Architects. JWA has also won the Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for best residential project on three occasions and has twice been the recipient of the Victorian Architecture Medal. Some of John Wardle Architects’ most prominent projects include: Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Learning and Teaching Building, Monash University, Clayton, Australia Jeffrey Smart Building, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia Fairhaven Beach House, Fairhaven, Australia Tanderrum Pedestrian Bridge, Melbourne, Australia The following statistics helped John Wardle Architects achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 10 22. Christopher Polly Architect © Brett Boardman Photography Christopher Polly Architect is an award-winning full-service architecture practice based in Sydney Australia. It engages with clients who share in the reward of accomplishing bold visions to enrich their daily lives, who prioritize quality over quantity and who place value in achieving inventive and well-crafted spaces that are meticulously detailed and finished. The practice distils a holistic detail design approach in the delivery of highly creative and pragmatic architectural solutions on site that resonate conceptual rigour and a command of materials and systems. Some of Christopher Polly Architect’s most prominent projects include: Cosgriff House, Sydney, Australia Unfurled House, Sydney, Australia Darling Point Penthouse, Darling Point, Australia Elliott Ripper House, Sydney, Australia Haines House, Sydney, Australia The following statistics helped Christopher Polly Architect achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 15 21. Steffen Welsch Architects © Steffen Welsch Architects Our experience shows that sustainable design solutions only work when they provide comfort and are sensible. We are proud that our buildings achieve high energy ratings and have been showcased as positive examples of sustainable projects. In our work we find a balance between cost efficient, environmentally sustainable designs and implementing innovative systems and products. Some of Steffen Welsch Architects’ most prominent projects include: Life Cycle, Coburg, Australia This House Never Ends, Melbourne, Australia Marysville House, Marysville, Australia Innercity Downsize House, Fitzroy North, Australia Parkville, Melbourne, Australia The following statistics helped Steffen Welsch Architects achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 16 20. Kerstin Thompson Architects © Kerstin Thompson Architects Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA) was established in 1994. The work of the practice encompasses architecture, interiors, landscape and urban design. The practice focus is on architecture as a civic endeavor; buildings that forge connections with their surroundings and the people who inhabit them. Some of Kerstin Thompson Architects’ most prominent projects include: Bundanon Art Museum + Bridge, Illaroo, Australia Seaberg, Melbourne, Australia Sacred Heart Abbotsford Convent, Abbotsford, Australia Queen & Collins, Melbourne, Australia Jock Comini Reserve Amenities, Ravenswood, Australia The following statistics helped Kerstin Thompson Architects achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 19. B.E Architecture © B.E Architecture B.E Architecture was founded in 1997 by Jonathon Boucher and Broderick Ely. The firm reflects their personal notions of team collaboration and design, which considers the environment. The result is a practice, which provides full architectural design, master planning, interior design and one off furniture pieces, the end result for clients being a complete, all encompassing package. The B.E Architecture team is young, dynamic, and multicultural, with a range of personal interest and specialties. Some of B.E Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Ross Street, South Melbourne, Australia 23 Fawkner Street, South Yarra, Australia Blake Street, Shoreham, Australia 57 Tivoli Road, South Yarra, Australia Walsh Street, South Yarra, Australia The following statistics helped B.E Architecture achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 22 18. Albert Mo Architects © Albert Mo Architects AMoA focus in designing residential houses. We are renowned for creating exceptional residential homes, always centered around the user experience. An avid believer that a home is a haven that caters to the individual and their wellbeing, we strive to reflect this in our practice. We wanted to translate the idea of a home into our designs and create spaces that are not just functional but nurturing and supportive of the activities within them. Some of Albert Mo Architects’ most prominent projects include: Fitzroy Loft, Fitzroy, Australia Stockroom Cottage, Fitzroy, Australia Moving House, Kew, Australia Elm & Willow House, South Yarra, Australia E589 The following statistics helped Albert Mo Architects achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 9 17. Tzannes © Tzannes Tzannes is an Australian studio for architecture, urban and integrated design based in Sydney. The practice’s creative thinking and innovative, sustainable and enduring architecture has established our reputation as a leader in the field. Our design is about specific responses to every client and every project, not about preconceived ideas, style or approach. We consider each brief an opportunity to apply architectural skill, creativity and innovation to solve our client’s design problems, but also to delight and to inspire. Tzannes’ distinction is our ability to work across all scales and project types. The breadth of our skills and experience, the profile of our talent and technology enable us to service significant projects with the efficiency and confidence of a large practice. Some of Tzannes’ most prominent projects include: Darling Square North, Haymarket, Australia Opera Residences, Sydney, Australia Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, Sydney, Australia The Republic Hotel and Rooftop Bar, Sydney, Australia Dangrove, Sydney, Australia The following statistics helped Tzannes achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 9 16. BKK Architects © John Gollings Photography The studio merges large-scale practice capabilities and experience with the adaptability and client focus of a smaller practice. Some of BKK Architects’ most prominent projects include: Cirqua Apartments, Melbourne, Australia Geelong Ring Road Rest Areas, VIC, Australia Beached House, VIC, Australia Holiday House, VIC, Australia Doll’s House, Northcote, Australia The following statistics helped BKK Architects achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 9 15. Carr Design Group © Carr Design Group Carr Design Group, headed by the much awarded Sue Carr, is one of Australia’s most influential multidisciplinary design firms. For over 40 years, Carr has exceeded expectations. Our architects led by Chris McCue and interior designers directed by Dan Cox maintain a position as leaders of design practice and thinking. A host of successful outcomes and long-standing client relationships are testament to our team’s consistency and commitment. Carr has three core specializations to address design for work, home and leisure; each discipline benefits from the knowledge, research and testing of the other. Our clients expect more than design: extraordinary homes that elevate quality of life, hospitality spaces that redefine amenity and attract guests, workspaces that advance business and are as practical as they are inspiring, superior financial returns on investment. Spaces that stand the test of time. Some of Carr Design Group’s most prominent projects include: Courtyard House Melbourne Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club, South Yarra, Australia South Yarra Residence Willow Creek Vineyard’s Cellar Door and Bistro, VIC, Australia Australia Post Sydney, Sydney, Australia The following statistics helped Carr Design Group achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 17 14. Shaun Lockyer Architects © Shaun Lockyer Architects Shaun Lockyer Architects (SLa) was formed in 2010 to focus on modernist architecture that connects people and place. Inherent within each project is a desire to craft memorable, sustainable and efficient design solutions that add value to the inhabitants’ lives. SLa engages in varying types of projects including residential, institutional, commercial and interior design. Working with private and public clients who value a collaborative and transparent design process, each SLa commission employs a versatility and passion that transcends scale and budget. The firm is led by Shaun Lockyer, AIA, who presents over 15 years of international design experience, including nine years as Director and Partner at Arkhefield in Brisbane, QLD. Some of Shaun Lockyer Architects’ most prominent projects include: Browne Street House, Australia Mooloomba Road, Brisbane, Australia Mountford Road Adsett Street House, Taringa, Australia Lockyer House, Bardon, Australia The following statistics helped Shaun Lockyer Architects achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 42 13. CHROFI © CHROFI CHROFI was founded in 2000 as Choi Ropiha following the win in the international competition for the re-design of the TKTS booth in Times Square, New York. The project is widely acclaimed for the way in which the design provided public and private benefits while simultaneously strengthening the essential character of Times Square, and it has been this ability to find solutions that work at multiple levels that now characterizes the way in which the practice of CHROFI approaches their projects. The practice sees design as a tool to extract both commercial and qualitative value; public and private benefits; function and form; experience and meaning. We are highly bespoke in our approach and expand from the specific requirements of each project and client’s desires. Some of CHROFI’s most prominent projects include: Lune de Sang Sheds, Byron Bay, Australia Ian Potter National Conservatory Lune de Sang Pavilion, Byron Bay, Australia Courtyard House, Mungo Brush, Australia Green Square Gunyama Park & Aquatic Centre The following statistics helped CHROFI achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 23 12. Hassell © Peter Bennetts Hassell is a leading international design practice with studios in Asia, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Our purpose is to design the world’s best places – places people love. We do this by combining strategic insight with creative design to unlock the social, cultural and economic value of places. We collaborate with the best minds in research, industry and design worldwide and we’re committed to making a positive impact on communities and our environment. Some of Hassell’s most prominent projects include: Ice cubes, Xinxiang, China Re-Emerge Pavilion, London, United Kingdom New Museum for Western Australia, Perth, Australia PTTEP Headquarters, Thanon Vibhavadi Rangsit, Bangkok, Thailand Sky Central, Osterley, Greater London, England, United Kingdom The following statistics helped Hassell achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 4 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 25 11. BOURNE + BLUE ARCHITECTURE © BOURNE + BLUE ARCHITECTURE Bourne Blue Architecture was established full time in Newcastle in July 1996. The practice is design based, and small, so that all projects have substantial director involvement, and a project architect who takes the project from beginning to end. The practice has completed work from Canberra to Port Macquarie, including Sydney, Newcastle, Pokolbin, Wollombi and Pacific Palms. Our work has been published locally, nationally and internationally. The office is 100% solar powered with a rooftop 2kW photovoltaic array. Excess power is generated daily and is sold back to the grid. 6000L of water storage tanks collect rainwater for toilet flushing and garden use. Some of BOURNE + BLUE ARCHITECTURE’s most prominent projects include: Redhead Alterations, Newcastle, Australia Diamond Beach Residence, Diamond Beach, Australia Cameron Centre – HVGS, Ashtonfield, Australia Elizabeth Beach Residence, Forster, Australia North Coast House, Sydney, Australia The following statistics helped BOURNE + BLUE ARCHITECTURE achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 12 Total Projects 28 10. Splinter Society Architecture © Splinter Society Architecture Led by Asha Nicholas and Chris Stanley, Splinter Society is a Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio committed to crafting custom human environments distinguished by diverse experiences. With an emphasis on design process, we work to create distinctly tactile projects, drawing on layered influences. Every project is grounded in solid principles of functionality and environmental sustainability. As an office, we enjoy exploring new ideas as a collaborative process with clients, consultants and craftspeople. We work closely with our clients to extract key elements for personal enjoyment in residential projects and fundamental brand ideas adding value to spaces for commercial businesses. Our projects include residential, multi -residential, hospitality, workplace design, health and education. Some of Splinter Society Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Hawthorn Gable House, Melbourne, Australia House in a Warehouse, Hawthorn East, Australia Project281 Cafe, Brunswick, Australia Elwood House, Melbourne, Australia The Auburn Apartments, Melbourne, Australia The following statistics helped Splinter Society Architecture achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 20 9. Wood Marsh © Wood Marsh Roger Wood and Randal Marsh have been in private practice since 1983, and their early philosophical and aesthetic ideals have been sustained to inform their architecture throughout the ensuing decades. Contextual issues of locality and region underpin their diverse body of work, which spans residential, commercial and urban architecture. The practice is renowned for its clarity of vision and its versatility, with art galleries, wineries and private homes as deftly executed as the extensive urban infrastructure the firm has created in and around Melbourne, where it is based. In each project, Wood Marsh’s founding principles are evident: the sculptural quality of the external forms, the play of solidity and transparency, and the materiality of the limited palettes. Some of Wood Marsh’s most prominent projects include: Piccolo House, Melbourne, Australia RACV Cape Schanck , Cape Schanck, Australia Alumuna Residences , Melbourne, Australia Towers Road House, Melbourne, Australia Merricks House, Merricks, Australia The following statistics helped Wood Marsh achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 16 8. CplusC Architects + Builders © CplusC Architects + Builders CplusC are Architects and Builders. We are a Sydney-based practice that offers a unique architectural proposition and specialized service – we are architects who design and build our clients projects. We believe in great architectural ideas, efficient construction systems, holistic sustainable project development and exceptional value for service. Whether you are seeking a full service from concept to completion, architectural services to get your project through council, contract administration services of another builder or simply some professional advice on a property you are thinking of buying, you will benefit from the unique expertise of architects who are also builders. Our ambitions extend beyond the design of buildings and ongoing development of architectural theories. Some of CplusC Architects + Builders’ most prominent projects include: Totoro House, Russell Lea, Australia Tennyson Point Residence, North Sydney, Australia Welcome To The Jungle House, Darlington, Australia ZZ Top House, Sydney, Australia Cape Fear House, Kensington, Australia The following statistics helped CplusC Architects + Builders achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 12 Total Projects 20 7. McBride Charles Ryan © McBride Charles Ryan At MCR, we have one passion — providing exceptional design for our clients. Our commitment to provide our clients with innovative solutions, technical excellence and personal and professional integrity has generated a steady growth in the reputation of our company over the last 16 years. MCR has successfully managed projects with budgets of up to $20M, combining complex architectural form with the finest construction technique and the most demanding programs. We have experience in many areas, having undertaken and realized work in all sectors, and this has been recognized by a variety of awards. Some of McBride Charles Ryan’s most prominent projects include: PEGS Gymnasium, Keilor East, Australia The Yardmaster’s Building Dallas Brooks Community Primary School, Dallas, Australia The Infinity Centre, Keilor East, Australia Penleigh and Essendom Grammar School, Australia The following statistics helped McBride Charles Ryan achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 14 6. Woods Bagot © Woods Bagot Woods Bagot Global Studio continually expands and challenges the expectations of multi-disciplinary architectural practice in a shifting, fast-moving digital era. Its portfolio is worldwide in scope, diverse in scale and discipline, and encompasses some of the highest-profile projects currently underway in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. The firm’s work is defined by its clarity of narrative and by the extensive use of state-of-the-art analytics as a platform for design. Its 16 studios, located in major cities around the globe, consistently inspire the firm’s work with a rigorous vocabulary that references urban and regional context, ecological and social sustainability, and innovation. Some of Woods Bagot’s most prominent projects include: Short Lane, Sydney, Australia Central Park North, New York City, New York BRC Century Business Plaza Regeneration, Chengdu, China SUONE Gemdale Plaza, Suzhou, China Heritage Lanes, Brisbane, Australia The following statistics helped Woods Bagot achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Finalist 7 Featured Projects 14 Total Projects 43 5. Austin Maynard Architects © Austin Maynard Architects Austin Maynard Architects create resilient, highly sustainable, beautiful, robust and long lasting architecture. Architecture designed to meet the challenges of the climate crisis. Launched in 2002, now with projects all over Australia, and offices in both Melbourne and Hobart, Austin Maynard Architects have the skill, resources and tenacity to undertake a wide variety of complex projects. Happiness, fun, friends, family, ethics, sustainability and reward for effort, these are the pillars of Austin Maynard Architects. Widely renowned for their boundless creative energy Austin Maynard Architects’ designs are at once well conceived, playful and edgy. Austin Maynard Architects have gained international recognition and are recipients of the prestigious Canberra Medallion. Some of Austin Maynard Architects’ most prominent projects include: St Andrews Beach House, VIC, Australia Nebula Portable Arts Space, Melbourne, Australia Moor Street, Fitzroy, Australia RaeRae House, Melbourne, Australia ParkLife, Melbourne, Australia The following statistics helped Austin Maynard Architects achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 27 4. KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS © KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS Koichi Takada Architects is a design group that creates organically inspired places so the world can reconnect with a more natural, intuitive and conscious future. Founded in 2008, Koichi Takada Architects is based in Sydney with offices in Doha and Tokyo. The firm is currently working across residential, hotels, restaurants, commercial and cultural projects in Australia and across the Middle East, Asia, North America and South America. Principal Koichi Takada is based in Sydney, after living in cities of high urbanisation including Tokyo, New York and London. His experience in those metropolises, where he studied at the School of Architecture at City University of New York and the Architectural Association in London, led him to pledge to create a greener future through design. How should we live today? It is a complicated question, but our answer is simple. Some of KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS’ most prominent projects include: Arc, 161, Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia Norfolk, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Heads, Australia Upper House, South Brisbane, Australia National Museum of Qatar Gift Shops, Qatar East Village Urban Marketplace, Sydney, Australia The following statistics helped KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 9 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 11 3. Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects © Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects iredale pedersen hook is a progressive architecture practice with studios in Perth and Melbourne and a rapidly expanding diverse body of work throughout Australia. From the wine region of Victoria’s Yarra Valley, to the desert of the North Kimberly region, through suburban Perth and the rural edge of Melbourne to remote Christmas Island, the projects are as individual and eclectic as the landscape they occupy. Each piece of architecture seeks to embody a unique design response of innovation and delight. The works can be gathered in relation to their geographical location demonstrating an embrace of their context and closer examination reveals a collection of thematic concerns that evolve and develop. Some of Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects’ most prominent projects include: Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre, Pingelly, Australia Walumba Elders Centre, Warmun, Australia Fitzroy Crossing Renal Hostel, Fitzroy Crossing, Australia West Kimberley Regional Prison, Derby, Australia Highgate Primary School New Teaching Spaces, Perth, Australia The following statistics helped Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 9 Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 23 2. ASPECT Studios © ASPECT Studios ASPECT Studios is an international design practice, built from a global team of landscape architects, urban designers, architects, wayfinding specialists, strategists and graphic designers. We approach each project by examining the social, cultural, economic, historical and ecological context that underpins it. Our people are dexterous, creative, technically adept and serious about designing places that benefit people and the natural world. This focus has seen us create some of the most memorable public realm and natural spaces in Australia and abroad. We are defined by an energized and creative approach, tempered by over 25 years’ experience in delivering and curating significant projects. Over that time, we have established studios in Adelaide, Brisbane, Dubai, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, London, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Shanghai. Some of ASPECT Studios’ most prominent projects include: The Chamber Church, Qingdao, China Hongkong Land’s Yorkville – The Ring, Chongqing, China Sydney Fish Market, Sydney, Australia Huamu Lot 10, Shanghai, China One City Development, Hubei, China The following statistics helped ASPECT Studios achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 8 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 15 Total Projects 39 1. Cumulus Studio © Cumulus Studio Established in 2011, we are an Australian architecture and interior design studio with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. With a team of 40+ dedicated architects, designers and operations team, our studio works as a single entity, using our collective resources to form, critique and test new ideas, to understand the design’s context and explore overlooked perspectives that result in the construction of respectful and inclusive spaces. Our designs are based on collaboration and conversations, both within the practice and outside of it. We believe that good ideas can come from anywhere — our clients, community and from any member of our team. By being open to discussions and different perspectives, our team, clients and stakeholders can express themselves and explore a design’s possibilities from the very start. Some of Cumulus Studio’s most prominent projects include: Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, TAS, Australia Dove Lake Viewing Shelter, Cradle Mountain, Australia Devil’s Corner, Apslawn, Australia Callington Mill Distillery, Oatlands, Australia Stoney Rise Cellar Door, Gravelly Beach, Australia Featured image: Riverstone, Launceston, Australia The following statistics helped Cumulus Studio achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia: A+Awards Winner 6 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 17 Total Projects 27 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 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Australia appeared first on Journal.

The most interesting architecture today is not that which flaunts abundance but its opposite.

The post The Architecture of Scarcity: 10 Material-Saving Projects That Prove Less Is More appeared first on Journal.

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. Order your copy today. It is easy to forget that architecture, or more accurately, construction, is an extraction industry. Every city skyline, every development, every concrete slab is a subtraction from somewhere else. Be it sand dredged from riverbeds, forests cleared for timber or ore mined from the earth. For most of our history, these processes were self-regulating. A village could only quarry as much stone as its laborers could haul; a timber-framed house could only be built if there were trees to fell. However, as industrialization untethered material from place, the balance shifted. The cost of transporting goods fell, the appetite for resources grew and suddenly, construction was no longer restricted by the availability of materials. Since then, wasteful construction practices, carbon-heavy supply chains and a reliance on materials that deplete faster than we can regenerate them (if indeed we can at all) have remained. The world is running out of sand, yet concrete production continues to devour it. The cost of shipping timber has soared, yet forests are still being cleared at an unsustainable rate. The energy used to produce steel and glass makes them some of the most carbon-intensive materials on the planet, yet towers of both rise in cities that claim to be sustainable. Thankfully, architecture endeavors to correct itself when excess becomes unsustainable. As raw materials become more expensive, land scarcer and environmental limits become more pressing, the most interesting work today is not that which flaunts abundance but its opposite. Faced with so many contradictions, architects are designing with restraint, using fewer resources, repurposing what already exists and questioning whether buildings need to be built at all. Where past generations reached for high-tech solutions, today’s architects are turning to materials and techniques that are hyper-local, low-energy and even centuries old. The following ten examples are pragmatic responses to an industry being forced to do more with less. Freebooter By GG-loop, Amsterdam, Netherlands Photos by Francisco Nogueira and Michael Sieber In an industry accustomed to material excess, Freebooter strips construction down to its essentials. Prefabricated timber modules reduce waste and speed up assembly, while moveable wooden slats — reminiscent of the sails of Dutch ships — provide passive climate control. Designed with near-total material efficiency, Freebooter is a model for how prefabrication and biomimicry can work in tandem to create sustainable, low-impact architecture. Tile House By the bloom architects, Vietnam Photos by Hiroyuki Oki Many cities in Vietnam favor new and expensive glass and steel. However, Tile House shows that the answer to sustainable construction may lie in rethinking what is already available. Terracotta roof tiles, salvaged from the original site building, are arranged into a breathable skin to reduce heat gain and improve airflow, eliminating the need for mechanical cooling. This architecture is one of adaptation rather than new production, proving that “waste not want not” is as good a practice in architecture as any other. 54 Social Housing By Fortuny-Alventosa Morell Arquitectes, Inca, Spain Photographs by Jose Hevia Social housing is often a case study in material scarcity and cost saving. Here, however, that limitation is turned into an asset. Prefabrication reduces construction waste, while the terracotta façades and deeply recessed balconies regulate temperature naturally. The project is a rebuttal to the notion that affordability and sustainability are incompatible. Efficiency of both space and material can result in housing that is both livable and resource-conscious. Madwaleni River Lodge By Luxury Frontiers, KZN, South Africa Building in remote, ecologically sensitive regions requires an entirely different approach. Importing materials is ecologically and financially costly. Madwaleni River Lodge is built using what is at hand. Raised on stilts to minimize land disturbance, the lodge employs locally sourced thatch and timber while embracing traditional construction methods that require little energy or infrastructure. It demonstrates that keeping things simple can yield incredible results. Two Paper Houses BY LUO studio, Zhengzhou, China Popular Choice Winner, Sustainable Interior Project, 12th Annual A+Awards Photos by Jin Weiqi and Luo Yujie If scarcity forces innovation, then paper — one of construction’s most overlooked materials — is a fitting experiment in doing more with less. Designed as an exhibition space, this project by LUO Studio transforms discarded waste paper tubes into a lightweight, modular framework. The tubes, sourced from packaging production, form a self-supporting load-bearing system. The structure is assembled with minimal additional resources, reinforcing the idea that sustainability is as much about rethinking waste as it is about reducing consumption. From the exhibition, the team involved is keen to implement the learning into future housing construction. The Bull @ Zab e Lee Cooking School By Chiangmai Life Architects, Chiang Mai, Thailand Photos by Alberto Cosi, CLA Bamboo’s reputation as a sustainable material is well established, but in this day and age, few projects explore its full potential as a primary structure. Here, bent bamboo poles form a sweeping, vaulted roof. Using only locally sourced bamboo, earth, and lime plaster, the cook school highlights how to design without dependence on energy-intensive materials. Project Plum Grove By School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Rather than demolishing an abandoned Hakka village, Project Plum Grove restores and reinforces what remains. Stone and timber are salvaged from collapsed structures, while polycarbonate panels provide insulation without obscuring history. Instead of replacing vernacular architecture with modern materials, the project embraces repair as a design philosophy. Sometimes, the most sensible solution is simply to leave things standing. Prepared Rehmannia Root Crafts Exhibition Hall By LUO studio, Xiuwu County, Jiaozuo, China Jury Winner, Cultural & Expo Centers, 12th Annual A+Awards Photos by Jin Weiqi In regions where industrial materials are costly or impractical, architecture often returns to what is readily available. The Prepared Rehmannia Root Crafts Exhibition Hall does exactly that, using locally sourced timber and brick to reduce transportation emissions and material waste. Its circular timber structure, inspired by traditional drying racks, relies on resource-efficient joinery rather than energy-intensive steel reinforcements. The red bricks, fired in nearby kilns that have operated for generations, integrate the project into its surroundings without introducing high-carbon materials. Enso House II By HW Studio, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico Photos by Cesar Bejar When resources are scarce, architecture adapts. Enso House II is built almost entirely from locally quarried stone, chosen not for aesthetics, which are undoubtedly fantastic, but because transporting materials was neither practical nor sustainable. The stone’s thermal mass stabilizes temperatures, eliminating the need for mechanical cooling, while carefully placed openings control airflow and light. The house is defined not by what was added but by what was left out. Free from ornament or excess, it stands as a response to material constraints and architectural restraint. Hause for Marebito By VUILD, Toyama, Japan Photos by Takumi Ota Japan’s forests are abundant, yet in some places under-utilized, with local timber often bypassed in favor of imported materials. Hause for Marebito addresses this imbalance by integrating digital fabrication into rural forestry, allowing large-diameter trees to be processed into architectural elements within their own region. Built using locally sourced timber and precision-milled without nails or heavy machinery, the house revives traditional Gassho-zukuri construction through interlocking joinery and lightweight modular parts. Designed as a crowdfunded co-ownership model, it challenges conventional ideas of home ownership while tackling resource inefficiency and depopulation. In areas where both land and materials are often wasted, this project reframes scarcity as an opportunity for self-sufficiency. 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. Order your copy today. The post The Architecture of Scarcity: 10 Material-Saving Projects That Prove Less Is More appeared first on Journal.

Dedicated to modern design

LEGO turns a piece of cinematic history into a new Twilight-inspired set featuring the Cullen House, based off of an actual home in Portland.

Twilight movie fans and LEGO enthusiasts alike now have the chance to recreate one of the most recognizable homes in modern cinema. The Cullen House, an architectural design located in Portland, Oregon, has been transformed into an official LEGO set, allowing fans to relive the magic of the Twilight Saga brick by brick with Twilight The Cullen House. Originally designed by Skylab Architecture as the Hoke House in 2007, this striking residence became an instant icon when it served as the backdrop for the brooding, immortal Cullen family in the blockbuster film series. Now, thanks to the LEGO Ideas platform and the vision of LEGO fan Nick Micheels, the Cullen House has been immortalized once again – this time in 2,001 meticulously crafted LEGO pieces. The journey from concept to reality was impressively swift. After Micheels submitted his design to LEGO Ideas, an astounding 10,000 votes poured in within just 48 hours – one of the fastest approvals in the platform’s history. This overwhelming enthusiasm proves the lasting impact of the Twilight franchise and the admiration fans hold for its aesthetic and storytelling. Jeff Kovel, founder of Skylab Architecture, expressed his excitement at seeing the firm’s work honored alongside legendary architectural landmarks within the LEGO collection. Known for their innovative and sustainable designs, Skylab has left its mark on everything from luxury residences to cultural institutions, but the Cullen House’s transformation into a LEGO set is a particularly unique milestone. Builders can recreate key moments from the saga with seven included minifigures: Bella Swan, Edward Cullen (complete with a shimmering skin effect), Jacob Black (who also has a wolf form), Charlie Swan, Alice Cullen, Rosalie Hale, and Carlisle Cullen. The intricate build also features iconic elements from the films, such as Carlisle’s infirmary, the stylish kitchen and living area, and the house’s signature floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the Pacific Northwest ambiance to life. Adding to the nostalgia, the set includes Bella’s famous red pickup truck and towering trees that evoke the lush landscape where Edward and Bella’s love story unfolded. Fans can even watch a special Twilight-themed LEGO video while assembling their set, further enhancing the immersive experience. This Twilight-inspired LEGO creation is a playful work of art that doubles as a display-worthy piece. Whether long-time fans are reliving their favorite scenes or you’re someone that loves modern architecture, this set offers a fresh and interactive way to celebrate one of the most watched film franchises in history. Want to see what the original Cullen House inspiration came from? The Hoke House can be seen below: For more information on the Hoke House and Skylab Architecture, visit skylabarchitecture.com. To purchase the Twilight Cullen House LEGO set for $219.99, head to lego.com. LEGO photography courtesy of LEGO. Hoke House photography by Jeremy Bittermann.

KOSHULYNSKYY & MAYER designed their own Lviv, Ukraine apartment tailored to their lifestyle by embodying the essence of modern minimalism.

In Lviv, Ukraine, the KM Home is an apartment that spans just over 1,000 square feet and is the private residence of designer Karina Mayer and architect Danylo Koshulynskyy, co-founders of the acclaimed interior studio KOSHULYNSKYY & MAYER. Rejecting the conventional developer’s layout, Mayer and Koshulynskyy embarked on a transformative journey to create a home tailored to their lifestyle. The original plan, which included a combined kitchen and living area and three cramped bedrooms, gave way to a more thoughtful configuration. The couple introduced two spacious bedrooms, dual dressing rooms, a practical laundry space, and two elegantly designed bathrooms. This layout not only optimizes space but also enhances daily living with an emphasis on comfort and efficiency. From the moment one enters the home, art takes center stage. The entrance is graced by “Renaissance,” an evocative piece by Ukrainian artist Andriy Voznytsky, crafted from coal. This striking artwork is highlighted by strategically placed ceiling lights, creating a dynamic interplay of shadows and textures. Another captivating piece, “PORTAL” by Lesya Panchyshyn, adorns the living area, illuminated thoughtfully to accentuate its vibrant details. The absence of corridors is a deliberate choice, eliminating unnecessary spaces and fostering a natural flow throughout the apartment. “Another common challenge for those aspiring to create a truly modern home is the presence of unnecessary corridors, which often serve little purpose other than to collect decorative clutter and subtract valuable space from the main living areas. That’s why we eliminated all the corridors,” says Mayer. The open-plan living room and kitchen serve as the heart of the home, designed to encourage both relaxation and social interaction. The kitchen exudes understated elegance with sleek eucalyptus wood panels, integrated Miele appliances, and a Calacatta marble dining table that effortlessly extends to accommodate more guests. A strategically placed block of marble supports the countertop giving it the illusion of floating while offering an unexpected design detail. The use of ceramic tiles throughout simplifies maintenance and supports underfloor heating, eliminating the need for traditional radiators. Eucalyptus veneer adds warmth and texture, seamlessly blending with the minimalist decor. Notably, Mayer’s decision to forgo curtains in the living room allows the natural landscape outside to become a living artwork, framed by uniquely angled windowsills. The primary bedroom is a serene retreat, complete with an en-suite bathroom and a private dressing room. The bathroom, reminiscent of luxury hotel suites, features glass partitions that balance privacy with openness. Highlights include a Rosso Imperiale marble sink and sophisticated fixtures from Hansgrohe and Catalano, while the guest bathroom showcases an illuminated Patagonia marble washbasin, adding a touch of refined glamour. A multifunctional room, which Mayer refers to as “the room of uncertain function,” currently serves as Koshulynskyy’s office but is designed to adapt easily into a nursery or additional living space as needed. This flexibility reflects the couple’s foresight in creating a home that evolves with them. Completed in just six and a half months, KM Home embodies the essence of modern minimalism, where every element serves a purpose, and every detail contributes to a cohesive environment that’s “for the soul.” Karina Mayer, founder and designer of KOSHULYNSKYY & MAYER For more information, visit kmdesignlab.com. Photography by Andriy Bezuglov.

A modern, monochromatic Michigan home, by Khanna Schultz, caters to a collector with a passion for rare Porsches and fine bourbon.

In Birmingham, Michigan, a northern suburban neighborhood of Detroit, a distinctive residence redefines the relationship between architecture, privacy, and display. Designed by Khanna Schultz, the House for a Collector project caters to a collector with a passion for rare Porsches and fine bourbon, seamlessly integrating his prized possessions into the fabric of daily life. Rather than conforming to the conventional approach of a monolithic suburban home, the architects fragmented the structure into a series of interconnected volumes, arranged symmetrically around a central courtyard. This design choice not only mitigates the visual dominance of a single large building but also fosters a dynamic interplay between indoor and outdoor spaces. The courtyard itself serves as a unique focal point, where automobiles and social spaces coexist in a fluid, open environment. A key departure from traditional suburban design is the positioning of the garages. Rather than being tucked away out of sight, they are an integral part of the courtyard, bringing the car collection into direct dialogue with the home’s living areas. This deliberate fusion of functionality and aesthetics challenges conventional notions of how vehicles and residential spaces interact, emphasizing the client’s appreciation for automotive design. Materiality plays a crucial role in shaping the home’s character. The structure is enveloped in insulated precast concrete panels – an industrial material choice more commonly associated with large-scale commercial buildings. Where sections of this concrete shell have been removed, weathered steel cladding introduces a warm contrast, adding depth and texture. Inside, a carefully curated palette of blackened steel, polished concrete, unpainted plaster, and pre-finished wood reinforces the balance between refined luxury and raw utility. Sustainability is woven into the project through strategic design and technological integration. A high-performance building envelope, triple-glazed windows, and a geothermal heating and cooling system work in unison to enhance energy efficiency, ensuring the home is as environmentally conscious as it is visually striking. Beyond its architectural achievements, the home functions as a stage for the client’s curated collection. The whiskey display, concealed behind a steel-clad wall, emerges via motorized panels, offering a dramatic reveal when desired. This element of surprise adds functionality and theatricality, allowing treasured items to remain hidden or showcased at the owner’s discretion. Inside, a monochromatic color palette and scaled back details lend toward the client’s wishes to feature their beloved objects, including the cars, curated furnishings and art, and the extensive whiskey collection. Unexpected details, like a floating bridge connecting the upper volumes and a hanging Jim Zivic hammock swing in the primary suite, add to the minimalist interior. For more information on Khanna Schultz, visit khanna-schultz.com. Photography by Michael Moran. Photography styling by Carin Scheve.

Best Practice Architecture reimagines The Wedge(wood) house to accommodate the evolving needs of a young family while respecting its 1970s architectural lineage.

In Seattle’s historic Wedgwood neighborhood, a 1970s home has been revitalized for modern living, thanks to a collaboration between Best Practice Architecture and Ainslie-Davis, a family-owned contracting firm with a sentimental connection to the property. The home, originally crafted by the late uncle of the Ainslie Davis team, has been reimagined to accommodate the evolving needs of a young family while respecting its architectural lineage. The project, affectionately named The Wedge(wood), embodies a thoughtful balance of preservation and transformation. The redesign begins with the heart of the home – the kitchen. Outdated and enclosed, the space was opened up to establish a fluid connection to the dining area. A wooden bench now anchors the room, seamlessly transitioning between the kitchen and dining space. The addition of a lowered leaf on the kitchen island encourages the children’s active participation in meal prep, making the space as functional as it is welcoming. The redesign also honors key original features, such as the sunken living room and its vintage wood-burning stove, giving nostalgic nods to the home’s past. To better integrate this space with the adjacent kitchen and dining areas, the architects replaced partial-height walls with custom wood shelving, maintaining openness while subtly delineating the zones. The shelves wrap the seating area without disrupting sightlines to the outdoors. One of the most significant structural changes was the conversion of a covered porch into a dedicated mudroom. In a city known for its rainy weather, this space – featuring patterned tiles and ample storage – provides a practical and cheerful entryway for managing wet gear. This update added valuable square footage to the home, directly addressing the needs of the active household. Upstairs, the renovations continued with the addition of a full bathroom and the reconfiguration of an underutilized great room into a bedroom and playroom for the family’s younger members. The primary suite underwent a transformation that maximized natural light from clerestory windows and introduced an airy connection between the bedroom and a newly designed spa-like bathroom. By removing the top portion of a dividing wall, the space now offers serene views of the surrounding trees and sky, enhancing the home’s tranquil ambiance. For more information on Best Practice Architecture, visit bestpracticearchitecture.com. Photography by Rafael Soldi, courtesy of Best Practice Architecture.

In Forlì, Italy, the NAP penthouse by tissellistudioarchitetti utilizes bold design choices, like colored mirror, to live happily with historical details.

In the vibrant center of Forlì, Italy, within the prestigious Palazzo Calboli dall’Aste, a penthouse renovation by tissellistudioarchitetti has intersected the past with modernity. Dubbed NAP, this project transforms a 2,152-square-foot space into a residence where bold design choices live happily with historical preservation. At the heart of the penthouse is a sculptural staircase that commands attention from the moment one enters. This new addition replaces the original staircase and serves as both a functional element and an artistic statement. Clad in golden, mirrored surfaces, the staircase reflects the light from the double-height living area, amplifying the sense of verticality and creating a dynamic play of reflections. Its angular forms and gleaming finish establish it as the centerpiece of the home. The living area’s warm wooden floors and crisp white walls set the stage for custom-designed furnishings that blend simplicity with sophistication. Descending a few steps leads to the dining room, where reflective elements and colorful accents add a contemporary edge without compromising the space’s understated elegance. Here, a brushed stainless steel kitchen peninsula interacts seamlessly with a matte lacquered wood panel, which cleverly conceals the kitchen’s functional elements, maintaining a clean and unified look. Throughout the penthouse, materials and finishes are meticulously chosen to echo the dual narrative of history and modernity. The wooden flooring and white surfaces serve as a unifying thread, offering a neutral canvas that accentuates the vibrant mirrored details and bespoke furniture. These design choices ensure that each space flows into the next, creating a cohesive yet dynamic living environment. The private quarters of the penthouse offer equally thoughtful design. The primary bedroom is distinguished by a large window overlooking the adjoining bathroom, fostering a sense of openness and continuity. Skylights bathe the room in natural light, enhancing its serene ambiance. The adjoining bathroom features bold red and mirrored surfaces, transforming a typically utilitarian space into an area of refined aesthetics. Exposed beams in this section further elevate the room, highlighting the perfect balance between functionality and design. This ambitious project was not without its challenges. Situated within a property protected by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, the design team had to navigate strict regulations while introducing innovative elements. The result is a residence that respects its historical context while boldly embracing contemporary design language. Tissellistudioarchitetti, led by architects Filippo Tisselli and Cinzia Mondello, has a long-standing reputation for crafting spaces that merge functionality with artistic expression. Architect Marcin Dworzynski joined the fold in 2011 and adds further depth to the studio’s expertise. With roots in the local region, the firm is known for integrating international architectural trends into its projects, as exemplified by the NAP penthouse. This latest endeavor reflects their commitment to pushing boundaries while honoring tradition, offering a living experience that is as unique as it is engaging. Have you ever seen a red toilet?! Marcin Dworzyński, Cinzia Mondello, and Filippo Tisselli of Tissellistudioarchitetti For more on the NAP Penthouse and tissellistudioarchitetti, visit tissellistudio.com. Photography by Marcin Dworzyński.

Social Media Consultant Maivy Tran returns with her current fixations, including getting organized, surrealist dinners that are otherworldly + more.

Twice a month we’re inviting one of the Design Milk team members to share five personal favorites – an opportunity for each of us to reveal the sort of designs we love and appreciate in our own lives from a more personal perspective. Social Media Consultant Maivy Tran returns this week for our Take 5 series. 1. Architecture for Dogs As a dog owner, lover, and self-proclaimed professional DIY-er, I bookmarked so many blueprints from this exhibition! Architecture for Dogs is such a unique celebration of our furry companions, showcasing creative and functional designs that go beyond traditional pet spaces. From ramps and cushions to a vertical doghouse that lets your dog gaze at you at eye level, I love that this project truly puts pets at the heart of design. It’s so cool to see how architecture can foster a deeper bond between humans and dogs while exploring new ways of cohabiting with our pets. Even more exciting, you can download the plans to build these innovative creations for your own dog – making it an interactive experience for pet lovers everywhere! (It’s currently on view at the ADI Design Museum until Feb. 16, 2025, and you can bring your pet!) View this post on Instagram A post shared by smaller than three (@smallerthanthree.vn) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Haptic Editions (@haptic.editions) 2. Traditional Tear-off Calendars As we celebrate Lunar New Year today, it’s the perfect time to reflect on traditions, and these two tear-off calendars make that easy and fun! Growing up, my family always had one hanging, and I love how these capture that same nostalgic feel. The first from @smallerthanthree.vn offers a daily link to Vietnamese culture with its minimalist, elegant design. Each page marks the date and lunar cycle and highlights important events like Vietnamese New Year, lucky hours, and even zodiac signs to guide your daily journey. While it’s now out of stock for 2025 (keep an eye out for next year!), the second by @duck.ruai x Haptic Editions brings just as much joy with its playful, frame-by-frame animation design. Not only is it a great way to track the year, but it can be reused for years to come, making it both sustainable and super fun! 3. The Parcel System from Cadence Traveling over the holiday season made me realize I didn’t have a solid system for organizing on the go, especially when it came to my skincare and makeup. Chaotic bags, clutter everywhere – it was a hot mess! With some trips lined up for the year, I’m hoping the Parcel System from Cadence will help me get it together a bit better. Versatile and featuring a modular design, you can connect multiple bags side-by-side for a completely customizable setup. Plus, it’s easy to clean and built to last! 4. Charles Kaisin’s Surrealist Dinners Oh, to even be a fly on the wall at one of Charles Kaisin’s surrealist dinners… Whether it’s fishing for ducks at the table or dining under a cosmic sky, these dinners are like something straight out of a whimsical dream! Each one is meticulously crafted around a theme that’s as bizarre as it is brilliant, creating a playful, almost Alice in Wonderland-like atmosphere that keeps guests talking for years! The stunning attention to detail, from the setting to the service, is absolutely amazing. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to dine in a grand château or a secret garden while indulging in this kind of creative madness? 5. Teatsy Vortex Kit I’m a big tea drinker, but I recently learned that teabags can release tons of microplastics, so I’ve been on the hunt for ways to steep loose-leaf tea. I came across the Vortex Kit from Teatsy and was instantly intrigued by its 360° rotational strainer. This clever design brews tea to perfection without over-steeping, and the set includes three minimalist teacups and a durable travel case for tea on the go. The best part? You can reuse the tea leaves multiple times, so you can savor every layer of flavor with each steep – all without the microplastics!

Perched along the tranquil Solway Coast, Tidal House is a retreat by Brown & Brown Architects for a couple transitioning from city life in Edinburgh.

Perched along the tranquil Solway Coast in Dumfries and Galloway, Tidal House is a contemporary retreat envisioned by Brown & Brown Architects for a retired couple transitioning from city life in Edinburgh. The clients longed for a peaceful escape amidst the rugged waterfront beauty of the Scottish landscape. On its northern side, the smoked clay brick facade offers a sturdy, grounded presence that reflects the charm of the nearby village. In contrast, the southern wood cladding embraces the fluidity of the coastal environment, designed to age gracefully with the passage of time. At the heart of the design lies a captivating three-sided courtyard, anchored by a vibrant acer Fireglow tree, which acts as both a visual and functional divider between the main living spaces and an artist’s studio. This courtyard approach not only enhances privacy but also fosters a sense of intimacy and connection with the outdoors. The careful placement of expansive windows invites the surrounding natural beauty inside, creating a constant interplay between the built environment and its surroundings. “We wanted a warm, welcoming home, and feel this is beautifully delivered. We’re pinching ourselves still as the whole thing is so incredible,” the clients say. The home is a sanctuary where artistic inspiration and relaxation coexist. The artist’s studio, with its strategically positioned glass corner overlooking the River Urr estuary, encapsulates this dual purpose. This intimate nook serves as a place for reflection and creativity, offering an ever-changing view of tidal waters and distant horizons. Thoughtful design choices, such as large windows for natural solar gain and strategically placed openings for cross-ventilation, ensure energy efficiency without compromising comfort. The masonry wall on the north side acts as a thermal store, while the southern glazing benefits from an overhang that provides seasonal shading. These features embody Brown & Brown’s philosophy of “slow work,” emphasizing meticulous planning, timeless craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility. Inside, wood flooring and tile coexist alongside textured woods and a rich color palette for a warm, inviting atmosphere, even on gloomier days. The public spaces aim to be more light and airy, while the private areas are designed with a darker feeling to encourage relaxation. Both custom furniture, made by the owners, and family heirlooms round out the interior to make it more personal. For more on the Tidal House and Brown & Brown Architects, visit brownandbrown.studio. Photography by Jim Stephenson and Mart Goosens.

Ezequiel Farca Studio designs the IMA House in Mexico, including the main house and guest house, with a connection to nature and views of the ocean.

Situated along the coastline of San José del Cabo in Baja California Sur, Mexico, the IMA House by Ezequiel Farca Studio spans 38,007 square feet, spread between a main house and an accompanying guest house. The home is anchored by a bold longitudinal axis that organizes the entire project. This central feature connects the home’s interiors with its outdoor patios and terraces, facilitating the free flow of natural light and air. The design places a strong emphasis on the harmony between the built environment and its seaside surroundings, allowing residents to experience a profound connection to the landscape. Water features and carefully arranged patios further enhance the tranquil atmosphere. These elements not only shape the interior spaces but also provide moments of contemplation and serenity, transforming the home into a sanctuary. The residence’s eastern side opens dramatically toward the ocean, framed by substantial concrete slabs that shade the ground-level living spaces while serving as terraces above. The homeowners, avid collectors of Mexican art, have infused their love for culture into every corner of the IMA House. The design intentionally echoes the qualities of an art gallery, with spaces meticulously curated to display works acquired during their travels across Mexico. This unique blend of personal expression and architectural refinement ensures that the home is as much an exhibition space as it is a living area. Material selection plays a critical role in the IMA House’s aesthetic and functional success. Teak wood and precast concrete slabs dominate the palette, chosen for their durability, natural beauty, and ability to blend with the coastal surroundings. These materials, with their earthy tones and textures, serve as a canvas that accentuates the vibrant blues of the ocean and sky. Approaching the main house, visitors are greeted by a blind facade that offers a sense of privacy and intrigue. The upper-level bedroom’s cantilevered volume doubles as a shelter for an outdoor reception area. Within the home, a small incision in one of the earthen walls reveals a serene waterfall, creating a contemplative space that enhances the home’s connection to nature. The primary suite is a private retreat, complete with terraces, a fire pit, and a jacuzzi, all offering panoramic ocean views. Meanwhile, the infinity-edge pool on the ground floor seemingly merges with the horizon, enhancing the feeling of boundlessness. The guest house, while designed with a simpler and more informal layout, maintains the elegance and connection to nature found in the main house. An inclined pathway leads from the street to a sheltered courtyard, which offers both protection from the wind and a connection to the ocean. The ground floor features open living spaces, including a kitchen and gym, while the upper floor houses four bedrooms. Each bedroom enjoys ocean views and access to a teak-wood-latticed hallway that provides both shade and aesthetic appeal. For more information on IMA House and Ezequiel Farca Studio, visit ezequielfarca.com. Photography by Fernando Marroquín, Jaime Navarro, and Oscar Hernández (IMA Guest House).

The Vaulted Monochrome Haus by DIG Architects is a minimalist Mumbai home that incorporates a grayscale palette with subtle pops of green.

Located within a suburb of Mumbai, India, the Vaulted Monochrome Haus, designed by DIG Architects, merges a monochromatic color palette with minimalist aesthetics and cozy elegance. The 4,300-square-foot residence is designed for a family of four – comprising a finance entrepreneur, a Ph.D. scholar, and their two adult children pursuing studies abroad – masterfully balancing social functionality with personal comfort. Having collaborated with the clients on previous projects, DIG Architects entered the design process with an established rapport and mutual understanding. This trust empowered the architects to push creative boundaries, drawing inspiration from structural forms. The vaulted ceiling became the project’s defining feature, harmonizing architectural intent with aesthetic purity. Complementing this central theme, materials such as gabion walls, frosted glass bricks, and Ceppo De Gre stone were integrated to evoke a cohesive yet strikingly unique environment. The apartment’s layout, while largely retaining its original structure, underwent strategic adjustments to enhance spatial efficiency. A guest bedroom was repurposed into a study, allowing for an expanded primary suite with a spacious walk-in closet. The living area, envisioned as a central social hub, connects to auxiliary spaces like a custom-designed bar and an open kitchen, emphasizing inclusivity and interaction. From the entrance, visitors are greeted by an interplay of light and texture. A frosted glass brick partition, which diffuses light into soft, ambient glows, separates the entrance from the bar. The living room, a voluminous rectangular space, features a subdivided vaulted ceiling that adds depth and character. This area serves as the heart of the home, accommodating relaxed gatherings, dining, and even film screenings with ease. Adjacent to the living space, the dining area is intentionally designed to foster social connections, with sightlines encouraging interaction. Overhead, the Moon lighting pendant by Davide Groppi becomes a centerpiece, adding an ethereal quality to the room. True to its name, the Vaulted Monochrome Haus employs a grayscale palette, accented by Ceppo De Gre marble – a rugged stone rarely used in Indian interiors. This monochromatic scheme is brought to life with strategic pops of greenery, which introduce vitality and warmth into the space. Every detail, from the sandwiched metal mesh in the cabinetry to the oak veneer in the study, reflects an intentional minimalism that prioritizes functionality without compromising elegance. The private quarters carry forward the overarching theme while embracing individual identities. The primary bedroom exudes sophistication with its four-poster bed framed by a backlit installation of frosted glass bricks. Sliding partitions offer versatile configurations, blending functionality with design ingenuity. Meanwhile, the daughter’s room, a departure from the gray-dominated aesthetic, features a predominantly white palette, embodying brightness and softness. Transforming conceptual elements like vaults into tangible forms posed significant challenges. The ceilings required bespoke templates for precision, while integrated lighting demanded innovative solutions to maintain the purity of design. Similarly, creating sliding wall systems to address spatial conflicts in the primary bedroom showcased the architects’ problem-solving prowess. For more on DIG Architects, visit digarch.net. Photography by Ishita Sitwala.

To support Los Angeles, here is a list of organizations and nonprofits that are providing aid to all that are affected by the Los Angeles fires.

The recent fires in Los Angeles have left an indelible mark on the vibrant design community and the rest of the countless individuals whose lives and homes have been upended. At Design Milk, our hearts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. As we navigate the path forward, we want to share resources that can aid those who have lost everything. To support the community in rebuilding, here’s a list of organizations and nonprofits that are providing aid to all that are affected in the Los Angeles area. LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund Led by the Getty, a coalition of major arts organizations are providing emergency relief for artists and arts workers of all disciplines that have lost their homes, studios, archives, art, or livelihoods due to the Los Angeles fires. Support Designers and Architects Affected by LA Fires A GoFundMe launched by Joby Blachy of Quintus to provide aid to those in the design and architecture industry who have lost homes or studios. American Red Cross The Red Cross is a nonprofit providing emergency assistance and relief through its network of organizations. LAFD The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation is helps provide necessary equipment and funds the critical programs to support the LAFD. Pasadena Humane Society The Pasadena Humane Society is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization providing care for all animals, and aiding in emergency resources for the animals affected by the wildfires. Los Angeles Regional Food Bank The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is working alongside government agencies and nonprofit partners to provide food and nutrition assistance to those throughout Los Angeles County. GoFundMe GoFundMe has compiled a list of verified fundraisers for people affected by wildfires throughout Los Angeles County. Direct Relief Direct Relief is a California-based organization distributing critical aid, like medications and N95 masks, to those impacted by the fires. California Fire Foundation An organization that provides emotional and financial assistance to the families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they serve.

Nirvana House, by AtelierM, blends seamlessly with surrounding nature as it rises from the ground as a three-story garden in Argentina.

Nestled in the scenic surroundings of Pilar, Argentina, Nirvana House by AtelierM reimagines the boundaries of residential architecture. Overlooking a polo field, this 3,767-square-foot home combines innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to blending with its environment. The result is a home that transcends mere functionality, offering its inhabitants a seamless connection with the natural world. At the heart of Nirvana House lies an unconventional concept – a three-level garden that appears to rise organically from the earth, topped off with a lush green roof. This detail ensures the home integrates effortlessly into the surrounding terrain, creating a dialogue between structure and environment. The design’s flowing lines and organic contours mirror the undulating topography, forming a residence that feels as though it has grown from the ground itself. Concrete and wood were deliberately selected as primary materials, chosen for their durability, low maintenance, and capacity to develop a natural patina over time. These materials not only enhance the structure’s longevity but also deepen its visual and textural connection to the landscape. The home is divided into two primary zones – public and private – each designed with distinct yet interconnected purposes. The ground floor features open-plan living, dining, and kitchen areas that dissolve the boundaries between interior and exterior. Expansive windows and sliding doors draw in natural light and provide unbroken views of the gardens. The upper level houses the private quarters, including bedrooms designed as tranquil retreats. These spaces offer sweeping views of the polo field and beyond, fostering a sense of calm and introspection. A thoughtfully placed water feature acts as the home’s meditative core, reflecting sunlight throughout the space. Nirvana House embodies a forward-thinking approach to sustainability, incorporating passive design principles to minimize its environmental footprint. Strategic orientation allows for optimal natural light and airflow, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and climate control systems. By prioritizing efficiency and sustainability, the home not only respects its environment but also enhances the comfort of its occupants. The choice of noble materials – such as concrete and wood – ensures the house ages gracefully, maintaining its aesthetic integrity while requiring minimal upkeep. This commitment to sustainability extends to the design’s integration of vegetation, with greenery cascading across all three levels of the garden, uniting the home with its verdant surroundings. For more information on the Nirvana House or AtelierM’s projects, visit atelierm.ar. Photography by AtelierM, courtesy of BowerBird.

Designed by Dan Brunn, a renovated double A-frame cabin in Lake Arrowhead elegantly melds the nostalgia of vintage architecture with modern aesthetics.

Nestled amid the serene woodlands of Lake Arrowhead, California, the Arrowhead Double A-Frame House – also known as “Bern Double-A” – is an artful transformation of a 1970s cabin. Designed by Dan Brunn Architecture (DBA), this structure elegantly melds the nostalgia of vintage architecture with modern aesthetics, offering a unique retreat that balances luxury with eco-consciousness. The renovation re-envisions the original A-frame as a “double A-frame,” a novel approach that combines the firm’s distinctive minimalist aesthetic with warm, inviting elements. The cabin’s original T-shaped footprint proved ideal for expanding the A-frame structure in two perpendicular directions, creating a dynamic geometry that feels both familiar and bold. Central to this renovation is the addition of a glass wall on the short axis of the structure, a feature that allows ample light into the lofted areas and visually connects the indoors to the forested landscape beyond. Inside, DBA’s characteristic restraint in material selection is clear, ensuring an effortlessly timeless feel. Existing woodwork, including the cabin’s original beams and ceilings, was meticulously restored through a unique sandblasting process with walnut shells, preserving the wood’s natural texture while harmonizing with new floors. This thoughtful treatment emphasizes the continuity between the cabin’s past and its revitalized design. The living room serves as the focal point of the home, where a tall, glass-framed A-frame ceiling contrasts with a rustic fireplace clad in tumbled stone. Designed for relaxation and connection, this space offers sweeping forest views and a cozy semicircular sofa centered around the hearth. Hidden cove lighting enhances the ambiance by casting a warm, inviting glow across the vaulted ceilings, further enhancing the cabin’s connection to nature. The design unfolds across three levels, each carefully orchestrated to suit distinct functions. The ground floor provides a tranquil zone for bedrooms and utilities, while the second floor brings a social, open layout that includes a guest suite, living and dining spaces, and a kitchen that flows seamlessly into the surrounding scenery. The third floor, an airy loft, features high ceilings, cozy carpeted floors, and mid-century-inspired furniture, adding an element of playful sophistication. Floor-to-ceiling windows strategically placed throughout amplify views of the surrounding woods, inviting nature to become an integral part of the interior experience. A soft, dark navy hue – featured prominently in the cabin’s core elements, cabinetry, and select exterior areas – creates contrast against the lighter woods of the bedrooms and living spaces. This choice imbues the cabin with a grounded elegance, echoed by navy exterior siding and decks. The kitchen thoughtfully reflects 1970s design inspiration with dual-toned cabinetry and intricate details, including slim, dark-framed edges and custom wooden pulls. White, soft-touch Fenix laminate blends with dark blue-gray finishes, achieving a modern yet period-authentic feel. Up in the loft, oversized windows provide unobstructed views of the treetops, reinforcing the cabin’s integration with the landscape. Here, bespoke built-in cabinetry displays vintage records and a turntable, celebrating the cabin’s mid-century charm. Adding a touch of whimsy, a Noguchi Akari lantern placed in the corner, illuminates the space in soft light. The sleeping areas are designed as intimate retreats, each outfitted with Scandinavian-inspired decor, plush rugs, and soft fabrics. The main bedroom is particularly striking with its vintage-inspired reading nook accented in Irish Green, matched with a plush velvet sofa, creating an inviting spot to unwind. Thoughtful lighting fixtures, including wall sconces and floor lamps, add a gentle, ambient glow that enhances the overall sense of calm. Sustainability is at the heart of DBA’s approach. The renovation focused on minimizing waste, retaining as much of the existing structure as possible, and reducing the need for new materials. Upgraded insulation, energy-efficient windows, a high-performance heat pump, and LED lighting all contribute to the home’s energy-conscious design. By preserving the existing exterior and implementing sustainable upgrades, the Arrowhead Double A-Frame achieves a balance between environmental responsibility and luxurious comfort. For more information on Dan Brunn Architecture, visit danbrunn.com. Photography by Brandon Shigeta.

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Gonzalo Rufin Arquitectos + Felipe Toro have shared photos of a small wedge-shaped home they completed that’s located on the windy beach of Matanzas, Chile. Surrounded by forests, ravines, and trees, the home is positioned on the only flat space of the land. The construction is characterized by the repetition of a module that houses […]

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Alexander Butler | Design Services has shared renderings and photos of a small renovation project they completed in New York. The project included the creation of a home office and laundry room. We don’t often get to see the design stage of a project; usually, it’s just the finished interior. However, this time, we are […]

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S^A | Schwartz and Architecture has sent us photos of a renovation and addition they completed for a mid-century modern home that was originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s protégé, Aaron Green and built by Echler Homes in 1966. The architects challenge was to protect the design integrity of the home while adding a substantial […]

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BRADLEY EDWARDS ARCHITECT has shared photos of the Onyx Coffee Lab, a combined coffee bar, café, patio, and kitchen they designed in Bentonville, Arkansas, that includes custom Terrazzo tiles. The design process began after the decision was made to put a coffee bar in the Momentary, an old Kraft Cheese factory converted into a contemporary […]

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Architecture firm Unknown Surface Studio has shared photos of Curvy Dining, a modern sculptural cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, whose design draws inspiration from the shape of flowers that naturally grow on the site. The delicate white dining cafe emerges within an industrial landscape, embodying the blooming concept, translating organic forms into spatial arrangements. The design […]

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Architectural studio OOOOX has shared photos of a guard house with a history dating back to the Middle Ages, that they’ve transformed into a contemporary home. A wood staircase leads from the street entrance up to the front door, with the stone walls and exposed wood ceiling providing a glimpse of the details to come, […]

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the CIECC presents a fluid architectural form with a pleated, deep copper-colored facade and large recessed windows

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A community for students, professionals, and lovers of 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]

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]

1 - 7 PLQ 18 residential building 8 - 13 PLQ 23 residential building submitted by /u/Technical_Soil4193 [link] [comments]

Artist: https://www.deviantart.com/aftermath1990/art/Kreuzung-569615861 submitted by /u/ElectricalSwimmer335 [link] [comments]

I visited LA recently and I made sure to stop by the Walt Disney Cincert Hall. This was the first time I have ever seen a design by any "starchitect" in person, and I was just speechless because I've only ever read and study their works from our classroom lectures, and I'l have now seen the real thing in real life. submitted by /u/artxious [link] [comments]

The Jagdish temple in Udaipur, India is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. submitted by /u/vrikam [link] [comments]

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I am a recent graduate from an accredited architecture program in the US. During my undergraduate time, i never held an architecture internship. This is mostly due to me not knowing how to put together a proper portfolio as well as a heavy weight of self doubt that made me not want to apply out of fear/convincing myself i won’t get the position. Now i have graduated and constantly feel like i really messed up. All internship positions are reserved for students and all entry level positions require internship experience. How can i remedy this ? Am i screwed and destined to work furniture retail/etc. since i never did an internship? I feel like a failure & i’ll never amount to anything or ever get a job at a design firm. Any advice or even just reassurance would be wonderful. submitted by /u/Dry_Ad7271 [link] [comments]

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chat, i’m gonna be unemployed in 3 months from now. suggest some alternative career options where i can make good money in india. p.s: i just dont wanna use my creative brain anymore, im fine with the boring excel job too submitted by /u/Unusual-Basket280 [link] [comments]

Is smart glass suitable for the partition of classes in a school? submitted by /u/Designer_Brother_860 [link] [comments]

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I am deciding between 2 job offers. Firm 1's sectors are commercial, mixed use, multi-family, and hospitality. Large emphasis on sustainability/high performance. Bigger firm, better name recognition. Firm 2's sectors are commercial, education, and civic/cultural. No big emphasis on sustainability/high performance. Smaller firm, not much name recognition. Down the road (5+ years later), I eventually want to move to a different city and work for Firm 3, whose sectors are commercial, education, civic/cultural, and energy. Large emphasis on sustainability/high performance. Big name recognition. Firm 2's sectors align more with Firm 3, but Firm 1 has better emphasis on sustainability and reputation. Which do I choose? Does reputation/name value matter all that much? submitted by /u/Potential_Choice3220 [link] [comments]

My partener has done bachelors in Architecture in India. It is a 5 year course and been working in private firm for last 3 years. I have been living and working in Tech in US and currently on H1 visa and have I-140 in process. We have decided to get married in next 2-3 months. What steps shall we take so that she can immietely. start working on H4 when I get my I-140 I work in Tech so i dont know about Atlrchitecture field in India as well as in US. I first thought I ll enroll her into Masters Architecture course so she can work on F1 and OPT as student But since I ll have I-140, i think Masters is unnecessary. Thanks submitted by /u/IndependentMetal7239 [link] [comments]

https://preview.redd.it/glywjdytxhke1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c348b15df09377ef9f32c69aa8d06ba97c933209 https://preview.redd.it/8w0bfaytxhke1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52f4562d44b96fb4c89247eaef6ba6356adc2b7b https://preview.redd.it/terw9dytxhke1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22b3abb8026ad71939189a246bae5f8bad7d7eb9 Yesterday I cycled back from Amsterdam IJburg to the city center and passed this magnificent iconic building. The Sluishuis is a collaboration between Barcode Architects (Rotterdam) and architect Bjarke Ingels from BIG (more info here). I absolutely love it! submitted by /u/hydraulix16aa [link] [comments]

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Has anyone in Ontario applied for membership with the AATO? How long did it take to find out if you were approved? I was thinking the committee meeting monthly to review would mean I would hear back within a month, but that has come and gone. submitted by /u/monkey3monkey2 [link] [comments]

Hi everyone, I’m a Japanese garden designer offering authentic, high-end Japanese garden designs for luxury homes, businesses, and resorts. I specialize in creating customized garden layouts, including: ✅ Traditional Japanese garden concepts (Zen gardens, tea gardens, modern Japanese courtyards) ✅ Hand-drawn and digital design plans tailored to your space ✅ Curated plant & stone selections to match your climate ✅ Consulting for implementation and maintenance I work with both private clients and businesses, offering exclusive, high-quality designs that bring Japanese tranquility to any space. My prices range from $800 to $30,000, depending on project size and complexity. If you’re interested, feel free to DM me or drop a comment. Happy to answer any questions about Japanese garden design! submitted by /u/ChitoseGarden_Sentei [link] [comments]

I'm designing a cabin in Northern Wisconsin, and I was looking into parallel roof chord trusses instead of something like a scissor truss, because I was really hoping to keep the ceiling, window and roof slopes all the same. I heard they are more expensive to build and install, but does that make it impractical? Would I be better off with a standard rafter system to achieve this look? Or just sticking with the scissor truss and compromising the design. P.S. Would things change drastically with dormers? submitted by /u/DUCCofSUCC [link] [comments]

hello! does anyone know where can I find theories like "Placemaking"? We need to research an architectural theory and I can't seem to find one T_T you can drop theories too so I can research more about it. thank you! submitted by /u/Educational_Thing700 [link] [comments]

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To those designers/architects running their own practices - what do you do in the inevitable slow time between projects? Besides general life maintenance are there anything you've found beneficial to keep the business going and growing while you're waiting on new projects to sign on submitted by /u/essential-business [link] [comments]

First of all, pardon my English. It's a brutalist seaside building, I've seen an image of it years ago, and I have no idea how to find it again, there's multiple large rocks close to it, and it's by the ocean, it's slanted and has sort of a L or Z shape to it. It's in a cold beach, not a cliff, more of a stony shore kind of thing. Sorry for not making more details to it, I only remember the general shape. It's not a lighthouse, and also not a building for many people to live either. Anyway, thanks! submitted by /u/URUT4U [link] [comments]

Is amity university, Kolkata good for architecture? Are there any placements? submitted by /u/ariryry [link] [comments]

Using a scalpel, cardboard, foam, balsa wood etc., is just super inefficient (Takes a whole week to make something that drawings can communicate easily), I think the point of it being compulsory at that level of detail (1:50) is not super sensible to me as a first year student. Do I have the wrong mindset? If yes, how can I improve? submitted by /u/Spiritual-Ideal-8195 [link] [comments]

We gave interior designers Darren Jett, Noz Nozawa, and Xavier Donnelly a photo of the same empty bedroom for a young professional—and then asked each of them to renovate it in their particular style. Three artists, one canvas, each bringing something different to the space. Which designer's renovation could you see yourself moving into? 00:00 Intro 00:47 The Plan 01:25 Flooring 02:37 Walls & Windows 04:00 Furniture 08:58 Lighting 11:11 Decor 14:09 Final Thoughts Renders by Duke Renders We help interior designers streamline approvals with photorealistic renderings—allowing clients to instantly see the vision, reduce revisions, and ensure designs get the quick ‘yes’ they deserve. Visit www.dukerenders.com/ADoffer Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Today, AD is welcomed by Lana Condor to tour her Los Angeles home. The ‘To All the Boys I Loved Before’ star’s journey towards her dream home started over FaceTime while in Vietnam. It was love at first sight for Condor and upon returning to LA, she and her husband Anthony De La Torre began transforming the house into the home she had always dreamed of. The actress enlisted the help of interior designer Joseph Monsour, and together they created a soft, elegant space inspired by Condor’s travels to Italy. The couple knew this home was the start of a new chapter together, so it was only right they chose to host their wedding’s welcome party and farewell brunch in the space they so lovingly designed. Shop furniture and decor inspired by the actor's home: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/lana-condor-open-door 00:00 Intro 00:45 Porch 02:33 Kitchen 04:08 Family Room 06:05 Living Room 07:33 Office 09:11 Bedroom 11:21 Bathroom Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Walton Goggins's 1920s home comes fully equipped with a prohibition bar disguised as a linen closet. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Today, Architectural Digest welcomes AD100 designer Robert Stilin to tour one of his most important designs–his own home. From structural changes to every interior design choice, Stilin takes you through the process of turning a once abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn into his dream loft apartment. 00:00 Intro 00:43 Living Space 06:11 Kitchen 07:31 Bedroom ARTWORK: Flag at Snug Harbor © Michael Zweck. Courtesy of Michael Zweck Studios Photograph © Hélène Binet. Courtesy of ammann // gallery Photograph © Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of Patrick McMullan Studios The Air Between, 2016, Wolfgang Tillmans. Courtesy the artist; David Zwirner, New York/Hong Kong; Galerie Buchholz, Berlin/Cologne; and Maureen Paley, London Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Paloma Elsesser is always reminded of the strong women she is descended from as her great great great grandmother watches over her. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Today, AD joins production designer Kave Quinn to tour the set of ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.’ As Bridget, played by Renée Zellweger, embarks on life as a single mom, she’s traded in her iconic Borough Market apartment for a Victorian townhouse in Hampstead. Join Quinn to tour Bridget’s new home, and where she’ll be embracing her latest chapter. BRIDGET JONES MAD ABOUT THE BOY is streaming February 13, 2015 on Peacock https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/bridget-jones-mad-about-the-boy 00:00 Intro 01:16 Kid’s Bedroom 03:04 Kitchen 05:08 Living Room 07:25 Bridget’s Bedroom 08:25 Bathroom Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Shonda Rhimes makes the most of her New York apartment by creating multi-functioning rooms. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Today, AD is welcomed by Heidi Gardner, Chloe Fineman, and Ego Nwodim to tour the 'Saturday Night Live' set. 'SNL' has been broadcasting live from studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller since the show premiered in 1975. Over these impressive 50 years, the set has taken on many iterations, from a basement comedy club to the Brooklyn Bridge–always an ode to New York City. Join the ‘SNL’ cast to tour the studio’s current Grand Central set and see how the magic is made each Saturday night. 00:00 Intro 00:33 Studio 8H 07:40 The Makeup Lab 10:47 Wardrobe 14:14 Hair 18:08 The NBC Page Desk 19:42 Dressing Rooms Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Today, AD is welcomed by actor Walton Goggins to tour his home in Hudson Valley, New York. When ‘The White Lotus’ star and his wife Nadia Conners decided to move east for a new chapter, it was an enchanting 1920s property that caught their eye. Built in the style of a Scottish hunting lodge, this prohibition-era property had not been touched in 100 years. With the help of AD100 designer Shawn Henderson, the couple worked to bring the house into the 21st century while preserving the property’s rich history. Despite the years of work, the renovation allowed Goggins to immerse himself in two of his great love languages, art, and design, as the couple brought their new vision to life. “I’m a poor kid from Georgia. How great is it to have our child grow up around art and music and great furniture and all these things that are so life-affirming and expansive?” the actor says, concluding, “This house has stimulated me in ways I’ve never been stimulated before.” Shop furniture and decor inspired by the actor's home: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/shopping/walton-goggins-open-door 00:00 Intro 00:18 The Gunroom 01:04 Prohibition Bar 03:08 Living Room 05:47 Entryway 06:18 Dining Room 07:23 Kitchen 09:09 TV Room 09:33 Office 10:59 Bedroom Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Supermodel Paloma Elsesser welcomes AD into her charming Brooklyn home. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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 Richards Medical Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania became one of the most influential brutalist buildings in America and paved the way for the influx of brutalist buildings you find on college campuses today. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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 rotating bookcases in the Shiz library in 'Wicked' were inspired by the 1951 Fred Astaire musical 'Royal Wedding.' Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Le Corbusier was a prominent modernist architect whose concrete builds pave the way for the brutalist movement. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Production designer Nathan Crowley breaks down how he included Americana references in the Oscar-nominated sets of 'Wicked'. Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

Today, AD is welcomed by Brooklyn-based visual artist Maris Jones to tour the creative space in which she designs sets for Grammy Award-winning Chappell Roan and more. Jones grew up the daughter of artists, so creativity has always been her path. Making her start filming viral short videos on Vine, Jones’s work has evolved into surreal world-building that has caught the eye of famous names–this past year creating sets for Chappell Roan’s performances on The Late Show, The Tonight Show, and The Governor’s Ball. Follow Jones as she shows you around her home and prepares for the launch of her new book. Talent: Maris Jones Director: Skylar Economy DP: Mar Alfonso, Brad Wickham Editor: Jess Lane Coordinating Producer: Brandon Fuhr Line Producer: Joe Buscemi Associate Producer: Noah Bierbrier, Amanda Broll Production Manager: Melissa Heber Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila, Tanía Jones Camera Operator: Marc Manasse Audio Engineer: Lily van Leeuwen, Gabe Quiroga PA: Caleb Clark, Francis McNeill Entertainment Editor: Paige Garbarini Entertainment Editor (On-Site): Jenna Caldwell Director of Creative Development: Morgan Crossley Director of Content: Keleigh Nealon Senior Producer: Alyssa Marino Williams Dir. Post Production: Nicholas Ascanio Post Production Supervisor: Andrew Montague Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew Supervising Editor: Christina Mankellow Additional Editor: Paul Tael Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds, Fynn Lithgow Sr Motion Graphics Editor: Sam Fuller Colorist: Oliver Eid Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► https://bit.ly/3Oh8McU 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.

In the heart of Paris, an extraordinary experiment in urban living is taking place. Welcome to the Urban Biosphere, a one-of-a-kind apartment designed to push the boundaries of low-tech, ultra-efficient city living. This innovative space grows its own food—including crickets!—and integrates sustainable, low-tech solutions to reduce waste, conserve energy, and create a self-sustaining ecosystem in the middle of the city. From ingenious water-saving methods to growing food and natural climate control, the Urban Biosphere is redefining what’s possible in small-space urban design. Join us as we step inside this groundbreaking apartment and meet the people behind the experiment. Could this be the future of urban living? You can find out more about this incredible apartment here: https://www.youtube.com/@BiosphereExperience 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 by: Bryce Langston Filmed bv: Gabrielle Vnd (https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle.vnd/) Editing by: Gabrielle Vnd & 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 #Apartment #UrbanBiosphere #SustainableLiving #Paris #GreenLiving

"#sponsored You can get $40 when you join Revolut today: https://get.revolut.com/z4lF/livingbig1 Spend a minimum of $1 to receive the reward. T&Cs and end date apply. Revolut Payments New Zealand Pty Ltd (NZBN 9429048733212) is a registered Financial Service Provider (FSP766191). This is not financial advice, speak to a licensed financial advice provider when making money decisions." Every now and then, we film a tiny house tour that reminds me why I fell in love with tiny homes. This week's story takes me right back to the absolute core of the tiny house movement. Designing homes that meet true human needs and enable us to flourish in a chaotic world. Marianne's story is inspiring. She toughed it out and found success in the material world, but it left her a shell of herself. Stressed out and sick. Building her tiny home was an integral part of her personal healing journey and ultimately allowed her to find and become her true self. From the outside, her tiny home may not look like much, but I was amazed at the functionality and cleverness of this homes design. It's simply brilliant. I really hope that you enjoy the tour of this very special tiny home and meeting this remarkable woman. 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 #hometour #simpleliving #tinyhome #healinghome

In this week's episode we meet an inspiring couple who have DIY built a spectacular off-the-grid tiny home for themselves on a remote property, amongst the wild Australian bush. Their home is completely off the grid with an impressive solar system and rain water collection system. A labour of love, the design of this home has been exceptionally well thought out. There are some very clever ideas in this home! Nina and Victor poured themselves into this project and that's evident in the finish of the home. With no prior building experience, it really is impressive to see what people can make happen for themselves if they give it a go! And their parking spot is absolutely stunning! Surrounded by bush on a remote farm, the views stretch for miles. When people dream of leaving the city life behind, this is where they dream of going! We hope you enjoy the full tour of this stunning tiny home. You can follow Nina and Victor's tiny house life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potoroo_tinyhouse/ 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 #offgrid #simpleliving #tinyhome

🐣 Download Hay Day for free and get 16 exclusive decorations to personalise your farm—worth $15.99! It's available until the 15th of February! #HayDay https://link.haydaygame.com/?action=voucher&code=9917a39b-e6bd-4b23-951f-bb5d8fba53ad In this weeks episode we deep dive into tiny bathroom design! There’s so much to consider when designing the ideal small bathroom. Working with limited space is always a challenge and in this video we explore our top design ideas that will help you fall in love with your compact bathroom. 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 #bathroomdesign #bathroom #homedesign #smallbathroom

This is a truly stunning, luxury tiny home—but Briony’s journey here wasn’t easy. Just eight years ago, she was recently divorced with two kids, starting completely from scratch. Through perseverance and determination, she’s transformed her life and now lives in this extraordinary tiny home on wheels. After her divorce, Briony began her journey by renovating a derelict caravan into a functional home, despite having minimal resources. From there, she upgraded to a second off-grid tiny home, basic in design but a step closer to her vision. Finally, after years of hard work, she achieved her dream: a luxury tiny home designed perfectly for her needs. This single-level design is breathtaking. At 6’2, Briony is tall and needed a home that felt spacious, and this one delivers with its high ceilings and expansive windows that connects her to the outdoors. Inside, every detail has been thoughtfully crafted. The resort-style bedroom and bathroom, palatial kitchen, and cleverly integrated office make this home both functional and beautiful. This is a story of resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of a dream. We hope you enjoy the tour of her incredible tiny home! Briony runs a website in Australia that helps to connect tiny homes with landowners. You can find that here: https://www.parkmytinyhouse.com.au 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 #hometour #simpleliving #tinyhome #tinyluxury

The Hodgepodge Tiny House is perfectly imperfect. This impressive DIY tiny home was amazingly built for the cost of only two years rent. Constructed almost entirely form reclaimed and discarded materials, this home was a true labour of love and the result of that labour is an absolute joy to behold. Julius has affectionately named his home Hodgepodge, a playful reference to the eclectic materials used in its construction. There are some real treasures that can be found second hand on the internet and even at dumps and this tiny house has become a wonderful collection of them. Despite the eclectic collection of materials this home is crafted from, everything works perfectly together in this home. It's beautiful and packed full of character. The home also enjoys some unique design features too! I absolutely love the multi-generational living that comes with this family compound also. Three generations living on the land together and making it something truly special. We hope you enjoy this episode! Thanks so much for watching. 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 #hometour #diy #simpleliving #tinyhome

As 2024 comes to a close, it's time for us to take a look back on the year that was and some of our top tiny house tours! Remember you can find the links to the full video tours of each of these wonderful homes listed below. ❤️ Thank-you for watching the channel this year and for all of your support. Happy new year! 🌟 ~ A Dream Cabin For My Parents! See The Full Tour - https://youtu.be/t30f9vTiME8 ~ Tiny House 2.0! Start To Finish Build of OUR Stunning New Tiny Home! - https://youtu.be/taccd4Kjq-I ~ Step Inside Middle Earth: Epic Hobbit Home Tour! - https://youtu.be/M10HrcYjjuc ~ This HUGE Tiny House Has EVERYTHING! - https://youtu.be/W3fhw1ZiI0o ~ Low Tech Self-Sufficiency in Her Amazing French Homestead - https://youtu.be/HwdOljMl8Q0 ~ Luxury Tiny Home with Stunning Conservatory! - https://youtu.be/jx5-erHYiyo ~ Ex Airline Pilot Takes Tiny House Design To New Heights! - https://youtu.be/M8NzjozJj3I ~Young Artist Transforms An Old Bus Into A Magical Tiny Home - https://youtu.be/pyIiT3yAdqc 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' © 2024 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhousetour #hometour

Wishing a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays you all! 🌟 It's time for the Living Big in a Tiny House Christmas Special, where we catch up with all the wonderful tiny house folk who we have visited this year and see how they are celebrating Christmas and decorating their tiny houses for the season. 🎄 We want to say a huge thank-you to all of you, our wonderful audience for coming on the journey with us this year. We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas / holiday season filled with love, connection and of course great food! With Lots of Love, Bryce, Rasa & The Living Big Team! ❤️ 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 We want to say a huge thank-you to the Making Spirits Bright Christmas Shop in Victoria for letting us crash their store last minute to film the intro to this video! ❤️ 'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2024 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #offgrid #christmas #tinyhousechristmas #christmasdecoratoin #christmasdecor

In this episode we meet Ben, a man who has left the city to live life on his own terms; off-the-grid and free in a spectacular tiny home cabin. Now situated on an incredible property by the ocean and surrounded by space and fresh air, his peaceful tiny home is a far cry from the hustle and bustle that he left behind. The construction of his cabin home is quite unique. Ben has built two seperate buildings that both join together to function as one. The first contains his living room, office and kitchen, while the other has his bedroom and bathroom. The resulting home is spacious, comfortable and also provides wonderful indoor / outdoor living, capitalising on the stunning views surrounding the home. This place is totally off-the-grid, with abundant rain water collection and an extremely capable solar system that also enables him to charge up an electric car. So in addition to leaving the city life, he has also been able to say goodbye to his petrol bills. Here, Ben lives simply. He admits that he is still adjusting to rural, off-the-grid living, but overall is enjoying his newfound freedom and the beautiful simplicity of downsized living. We hope you enjoy the tour of his exceptional off-grid 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' © 2024 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #offgrid #cabin #tinyhousetour #tinyhome #homedesign

This tiny home design is like no other! It's a handcrafted tiny house that has been beautifully constructed and is packed full of clever, never before seen design features. David is an ex pilot who after retiring from flying made a radical life shift into a tiny home and a simpler way of life. A DIY project, David, together with help from a carpenter friend constructed this absolutely one-of-a-kind home. The quality of the finish in this home is second to none and the cleverness of the home's design is perhaps only outshone by the execution of the build! This spacious home is compact, but feature rich! This tiny house has absolutely everything David needs. It's provided not only a beautiful place for David to call home, but has also been key in facilitating a slower, simpler way of living. We hope you enjoy the tour of this epic tiny house. 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' © 2024 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhousetour #homedesign

If you’re searching for a supersized tiny home that wants for absolutely nothing, you’ve found it! This tiny house has been exquisitely executed. It’s an upsized design that doesn’t know the meaning of compromise. This is definitely on the larger size of tiny homes. It has an exceptionally spacious design with palatial kitchen, lounge bathroom and a downstairs bedroom with exceptionally high ceiling height. It’s unquestionably luxury! Upstairs, the two would-be sleeping lofts have been converted into a home office and reading room. It’s really a tiny mansion! The expansion of the home into the outdoors has been brilliantly executed, greatly extending the living space. There’s space for outdoor cooking and dining, lounging and a luxurious bath tub. Who could ask for more?! Barb and PK have designed this tiny house for their future downsized retirement. Until then, it has become a sanctuary space for their friends and family. We hope you enjoy the tour of this spectacular 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' © 2024 Zyia Pictures Ltd #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhousetour #homedesign