Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube809k With the Switch 2's shiny new Mouse Mode, we're not surprised lots of developers are integrating the new control scheme into their games. And Spike Chunsoft is the latest dev to jump on the mouse wagon, with its next big game, No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files. The third game in the AI: The Somnium Files series is coming to both the Switch and Switch 2 — the latter as a Game-Key Card release — on 25th July 2025. But the Switch 2 version will be bringing a number of benefits to the table, including better graphics, faster load times, and mouse control support.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube809kWatch on YouTube We don't know how Mouse Mode will work yet, but given that this is another detective-style game (that's... being broad, too), we could probably make a few guesses — puzzle-solving, dialogue choices, interacting with characters.. etc. Besides the new Switch 2 features, we also have a story trailer featuring the first game's protagonist Kaname Date, his AI-Ball companion Aiba, Iris — who has been kidnapped and forced to play an escape game — Mizuki, Boss, Hitomi, Moma, Ota, and newcomer Hina, among others. Images: Spike Chunsoft If you haven't played either of the AI games, they're pretty weird! The first two games were written by Zero Escape creator Kotaro Uchikoshi, who is acting as scenario supervisor for this third entry. His new game, which he co-directed and wrote with Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka, is due out this week. Let us know whether you'll be grabbing this on Switch (or Switch 2) in the comments. Sirei-iously good An AI in your Eyeball Insane in your membrane Related Games See Also Share:0 0 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles Switch 2's Backwards Compatibility List Provides Updates On Two Titles Here's what you can expect Paul Rudd Returns In An Awesome SNES-Style Switch 2 Commercial Super together! Nintendo Removes Variable Refresh Rate TV Mention On Switch 2 Websites Updated descriptions in US, Canada, Japan and Europe

FAST just got BETTER Nintendo Life: Can you talk about what’s new about Fast Fusion? We’re particularly interested in the new Fusion mechanic. Manfred Linzner: The Fusion mechanic was the main reason we decided to do a new FAST game, because we only wanted to do another one when we would have something really cool and fresh to add. Here's how it works: imagine you have two vehicles that you really like, for example, the fast Cebra Genetics and the heavy Mech Guyva. With Fusion, you can now merge both vehicles into a completely new one that combines their best features. The appearance of your new creation will be a cool mix of the looks of the two vehicles, and you can also save all your creations in the Fusion History for a later rebuild. It's really fun to make your dream vehicle and get surprised by the new looks and feels. Images: Shin'en Multimedia What kind of changes have been made to the core gameplay? Will we still be switching between two colours? We kept the phase switching base gameplay, because this is the DNA of FAST, but added a lot of new stuff. For instance: Hyperjumps! You can now make Hyperjumps with your vehicle at any time. These are not little hops, but rather you get thrown up about 20m into the air. This allows you to cut corners, take out your opponents, find shortcuts on the tracks, pick up otherwise unreachable collectibles, and a few more secrets. Of course it's not super safe to make a 20m jump while driving 700kmh through a dense forest, but it's totally exciting and takes the game to a whole new level! We promise, this will make your hands sweaty! Can you run us through the game’s various modes? Will Hero Mode return? Sure, here we go: Championship - This is all new. Previously you won cups and unlocked new ones, and now you need to unlock them with credits. You earn them by playing the tracks, where better ranks mean more credits. You also collect credits on the tracks and get them for various actions like boosting through opponents. With the earned credits you can buy new vehicles, new cups, and so on. Super Hero Mode - This is for the hardcore antigrav players. Some say it's our little homage to F-Zero! You need to win a race without crashing and you must not run out of energy. Combined with the new Hyperjump mechanic, this will really make your heart pump. Plus, to give everything a new spin, all tracks are played mirrored. Time Attack - Here you can beat our own best times. Don't try this with the default roster; you really need to experiment with the new Fusion mechanic to have a chance! We also have a new Jukebox section where you can use your credits to unlock music from all previous FAST games. How many courses and vehicles can players expect to see? We will announce all tracks at a later date. However, we prepared a First-look trailer so you can see some locations for yourselves! By the way, all tracks are brand new. Only two tracks are in known locations, but those are also completely new designs. For vehicles, you can create hundreds of different ones with the Fusion mechanic. What kind of experience can we expect from the multiplayer? Will there be GameShare support? We support Splitscreen and GameShare. Splitscreen will be for up to four players, all running at 60fps. GameShare will be for two players. Only one player needs the game, while the other just needs a Switch 2 to join. This works locally with anyone nearby or also across the internet with GameChat. Image: Shin'en Multimedia Your website mentions performance of 60fps up to 4K resolution. Can you talk a bit more about that? Will it be possible to modify performance and reach 120fps? We support five different graphic settings for TV mode, from 1080p/60fps to 1440p/60fps and up to 4k/60fps. We even have a special 30fps/4k 'Ultra Quality' mode. We tried to make a good compromise for everyone. Everything runs in HDR which you can enjoy directly in Handheld mode or when your TV supports it. 120fps is not supported, but that was mostly because making a game for launch day isn't that easy and we had to decide on a few key features. Perhaps this is something we can bring later with a patch. How has development been for the Switch 2 compared to the original? What has the power of the new console allowed you to do? In FAST RMX we felt like we hit a border on how good a 60fps game can look, but for Fast Fusion on Nintendo Switch 2 many discarded ideas were now possible to achieve on the new hardware. We worked especially hard to make the lighting in the game much more dynamic. Now we are much closer to Global Illumination, with real-time reflections, light propagation, and great volumetric effects. This makes the whole world much more alive. Another thing we were able to improve a lot were the special effects for things like explosions, rain, fog, tornadoes, and so on. We think players will love the new look of the game. Shin'en games have historically been very well optimised. What sort of file size can we expect for Fast Fusion? 4K textures all over the place and 4K screen modes made our game grow substantially. With a lot of compression and optimisation we were still able to pack it all down to around 3.7GB. Our largest game ever, I guess! Image: Shin'en Multimedia Fast RMX launched on day one for the Switch and became a beloved launch title. How important was it for Fast Fusion to be available on day one for Switch 2? This was our goal from the beginning of development last year. Many Switch 2 players will have Mario Kart World and F-Zero GX to enjoy at launch along with dozens of Switch 1 games via backwards compatibility. With more competition on day one, what kind of sales expectations do you have for Fast Fusion? I think Fast Fusion offers something very different to any other racing game currently available and we hope players will like that. We will also offer the game at a very nice price, because people have already invested a good amount of money into the new hardware, and they should be able to see what their new system can deliver. Speaking of F-Zero, what kind of impact has the series had on your development of Fast titles? Since our childhood it was the main inspiration for sci-fi racing. Besides that, we think both titles play very differently. And especially for Fast Fusion, we also made sure that everyone can have fun with the game without getting stuck along the road. What are your thoughts on the Switch 2 from what you’ve seen so far? Are you hoping to support it more in the future? Could we expect any performance updates for your existing Switch games? For us, it's a great piece of hardware and we have many ideas for it. Therefore, we already have other projects for Switch 2 in planning. Also, Switch 2 updates for our previous games like The Touryst is something we're discussing. Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube809k This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. A huge thanks to Manfred for providing this early first look at Fast Fusion's trailer. The game will launch on day one alongside the Switch 2 on 5th June 2025. Related Games See Also

In Brief Posted: 12:09 PM PDT · April 23, 2025 Image Credits:SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP / Getty Images Netflix aims to be a trillion-dollar company, says co-CEO At Semafor’s 2025 Word Economy Summit on Wednesday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he believes Netflix’s long-term goal to achieve a $1 trillion market capitalization is possible if the streaming giant continues to perform well.  Sarandos said, “In the previous five years, we’ve doubled our revenue, we grew profits 10 times, and we grew our market cap three times. So there is a path to it, obviously, but it’s all incredibly dependent on executing well.” He seems to confirm a report from The Wall Street Journal earlier this month, in which Netflix executives indicated that the company aims to achieve this goal, as well as double its revenue, by 2030. Notably, Sarandos mentioned that Netflix could achieve its goals solely through its streaming business. However, the company also intends to explore additional ventures. The Broadway opening of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” took place in March, and Netflix is set to open retail spaces in Philadelphia and Dallas this year. Topics

After a sluggish couple of years, fintech appears to be making a comeback. In the first quarter of 2025, fintech startups globally raised a combined $10.3 billion — marking the highest level of funding since the first quarter of 2023, according to CB Insights research. The average deal size of $17.7 million also marked the highest since 2021. Notably, several crypto-related startups are among those raising larger rounds in 2025, a reflection of renewed investor appetite in the space.  But investors are also backing other types of financial technology companies, including some in the payments, banking, and fraud prevention sectors. Here are the U.S.-based fintech companies that raised $50 million or more so far in 2025, according to PitchBook data: April Plaid, which connects bank accounts to financial applications, sold approximately $575 million worth of common stock at a $6.1 billion post-money valuation. Franklin Templeton led the “oversubscribed” raise, which also included participation from new backers, including Fidelity Management and Research, BlackRock, and others, in addition to existing investors NEA and Ribbit Capital. The San Francisco-based company clarified that the financing was not, in fact, a Series E round, but rather a sale of common stock, which involves a company directly issuing new shares to raise capital. This differs from a secondary share sale, which occurs when existing shareholders sell their shares to other investors without the company receiving any new capital. Felix, a chat-based platform that aids Latino immigrants in the U.S. to send money abroad, raised $75 million in a Series B round. QED Investors led the round, which also included participation from Monashees, Switch Ventures, Castle Island, HTwenty, General Catalyst Customer Value Fund, and Endeavor Catalyst. Rain, a Los Angeles-based startup offering an employer-integrated earned wage access (EWA) app coupled with financial wellness features like overdraft alerts and spending trends, raised $75 million in a Series B round. The round was led by Prosus at a post-money valuation of $340 million. Ethic, a New York City-based tech-enabled asset management startup, raised $64 million in Series D funding led by State Street Global Advisors. The round was raised at a $700 million post-money valuation, according to PitchBook. Luna Technologies, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based wealth management platform, raised $63 million in a Series C round led by Sixth Street Growth. Existing backers Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, UBS, and TD Bank Group also participated. Tapcheck, a Plano, Texas-based on-demand pay provider, secured $225 million in funding. The raise included a $25 million extension to its Series A round that was led by PeakSpan Capital, as well as a $200 million credit facility from Victory Park Capital. March Mercury, a digital banking startup, raised $300 million in primary and secondary funding at a $3.5 billion post-money valuation. New investor Sequoia led the latest round — a Series C — alongside existing backers Coatue, CRV, Andreessen Horowitz, and other new investors Spark Capital and Marathon. Mesh, a crypto payments startup, raised $82 million in a Series B round led by Paradigm with participation from Consensys, QuantumLight, Yolo Investments, and others. The company touted that the financing was secured using PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin. San Francisco-based Mesh was valued at $482 million post-money, according to PitchBook. Flex, which offers personal finance software and payments infrastructure for business owners, raised $25 million in equity funding while securing a $200 million credit facility. The equity funds were raised at a valuation of “just under $250 million.” Titanium Ventures led Flex’s equity round, which included participation from Companyon Ventures, Florida Funders, MS&AD Ventures, AAF Management, and First Look Partners. Victory Park Capital provided the $200 million credit facility. ONE Amazon, a Miami-based provider of crypto-powered project services intended to transform rainforest conservation into a market-driven investment opportunity, raised $105 million. Global Edge Worldwide Fund and Gorilla Technology provided the capital, according to PitchBook. Zolve, a neobank that helps provide financial access to high-skilled and high-spending global citizens moving to the U.S., raised $251 million in a new funding round, comprising both equity and debt, as the startup aims to expand its presence and enter new geographies. Zolve raised $51 million in equity for its Series B round, led by Creaegis, with participation from HSBC, SBI, GMO, and DG Daiwa to support its expansion. Existing investors Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sparta Group, and DST Global also participated. Additionally, the round involved a debt of $200 million to buy expats’ books from its partner banks to underwrite risks. February Bitwise, a San Francisco-based crypto-specialist asset manager, raised $70 million in a funding round led by Electric Capital at a post-money valuation of $670 million, according to PitchBook. Blockchain Coinvestors, Highland Capital, Khosla Ventures, MIT Investment Management Company, MassMutual, Haun Ventures, ParaFi Capital, General Catalyst, and a group of angel investors also participated in the financing. Sardine, which describes itself as an AI risk platform for fraud, compliance, and credit underwriting, raised a $70 million Series C funding round led by Activant Capital. Andreessen Horowitz, Nyca Partners, Google Ventures, Geodesic Capital, Cross Creek Capital, Moody’s Analytics, Experian Ventures, and NAventures also participated in the financing. The San Francisco-based startup was valued at $680 million post-money, according to PitchBook. Raise, an online gift card marketplace with an eye toward crypto, raised $63 million. Investors included Amber Group, Anagram (Cayman Islands), BlackPine, Borderless Capital, GSR, Haun Ventures Management, Karatage, Paper Ventures, and Pharsalus Capital, among others. Candid Health, a revenue cycle management platform for healthcare providers, raised a $52.5 million Series C led by Oak HC/FT and existing investors. The round came six months after Candid’s $29 million Series B, which was led by 8VC with the participation of returning backers First Round Capital, BoxGroup, and Y Combinator. The Series C valued the company at $250 million post-money, according to PitchBook. January Phantom, a developer of a crypto wallet designed for decentralized finance and non-fungible tokens, raised a $150 million Series C round of funding at a $3 billion valuation. Sequoia Capital and Paradigm co-led the financing, which also included participation from a16z crypto and Variant.  Highnote, a San Francisco-based card issuing and embedded payments company, raised $90 million in a Series B round of funding led by Adams Street Partners with participation from existing investors including Oak HC/FT, Costanoa, WestCap, and Pinegrove Venture Partners. The round took the company’s valuation to over $750 million, according to Forbes. Fundraise Up, a Brooklyn-based fundraising platform for nonprofits, raised $70 million in a minority growth investment led by Summit Partners, with participation from existing investor Telescope Partners. Openly, a tech-enabled home insurance services provider, raised $193 million in a growth financing round co-led by Eden Global Partners and Allianz X, the strategic growth investments arm of Allianz. Existing backers such as Advance Venture Partners, Obvious Ventures, Clocktower Technology Ventures, and Point Judith Capital also participate in the financing.

Lenovo has unveiled a refreshed portfolio of ThinkPad devices, engineered for modern professionals handling AI-powered workflows. The lineup includes Copilot+ PCs, such as the ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 AMD and ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 AMD mobile workstations, alongside new ThinkPad L Series business laptops, with expanded ThinkPad X1 Aura Editions. “Lenovo is defining the new era of AI computing for professionals with advanced workstation solutions that empower the workflows for people that design and build amazing things,” said Rob Herman, Vice President, Worldwide Workstation and Client AI Business at Lenovo. “With exceptional performance in a mobile form factor for compute-heavy, AI-driven applications, the newest ThinkPad P series workstations accelerate innovation and productivity.” “The latest ThinkPad L series portfolio reflects how we design for the real needs of business users — from creative professionals and knowledge workers to remote teams and large enterprises,” added Tom Butler, Vice President, Commercial Portfolio and Product Management, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group. “Whether you need mobile workstation power or scalable productivity, Lenovo is delivering the flexibility and intelligence required to thrive in the AI era.”  Starting at 3.06 pounds and 16.13mm in thickness, the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s AMD is the thinnest and lightest mobile workstation in Lenovo’s portfolio, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16s AMD offers advanced AI experiences for professionals tackling complex workloads. Both workstations utilize AMD Ryzen AI PRO 300 Series processors up to Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 with 5.1GHz and 12 cores. Across the latest ThinkPad portfolio, Lenovo has introduced a set of innovations designed to make devices smarter, more accessible, and easier to manage. Features vary by model, but together they reflect a shared commitment through: Enhanced collaboration features, including 5MP RGB+IR cameras and Dolby Atmos audio with Elevoc noise suppression. Flexible, modern connectivity, with support for Wi-Fi 6E/7, optional 4G LTE, and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. More customer-replaceable (CRU) components, enabling easier repairs and extended life cycles (CRU battery, keyboard, WWAN, speakers, and fan depending on the model). Accessibility and design enhancements, such as tactile keyboard markings, plastic-free packaging, and use of recycled materials in select parts. Built-in software tools like Lenovo Commercial Vantage, which allows users to personalize and manage device settings with ease, and Lenovo View, which uses AI to enhance video calls with features like auto-framing, background blur, and eye contact correction. ThinkShield security features, offering BIOS-level protections, secure wipe, and integrated privacy controls to help safeguard sensitive data and ensure enterprise-grade security. At the forefront of this year’s updates are the redesigned ThinkPad L13 Gen 6 and L13 2-in-1 Gen 6, which offer clamshell and convertible 2-in-1 formats. The refreshed chassis features a smaller footprint, cleaner lines, and an up to 84.7% screen-to-body ratio. A new communication bar integrates a 5MP + IR camera, with an additional world-facing camera on select 2-in-1 models to support content capture and collaboration on the move. Key enhancements include: Brighter display options, with 400 nit panels for improved visibility in variable lighting environments. Lightweight and thoughtfully designed, with 50% recycled aluminum used in the top cover for a modern and more sustainable form factor. New port layout and expanded connectivity, including dual Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, and optional Smart Card reader. Onboard garaged pen with the L13 2-in-1 Gen 6 is ideal for notetaking and sketching. The updated ThinkPad L14 Gen 6 and ThinkPad L16 Gen 2 are available with the latest Intel and AMD platforms. Key enhancements include brighter display panels and expanded platform availability with extensive configurations. Lenovo is also adding configuration options with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition and ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition, now available with the latest Intel Core Ultra 200U and 200H processors and Intel vPro. These models build on the vision introduced with the Intel Core Ultra 200V series variants, continuing to deliver Lenovo’s Aura Edition experience. Designed for elite mobility, both devices feature ultra-light chassis, high screen-to-body ratios, and intelligent collaboration features powered by Lenovo View and Dolby Atmos audio. For more information including pricing and detailed specifications, visit Lenovo here. Source: Lenovo Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.

Construction Equipment | © Ivan Bandura via Unsplash No one likes surprises—especially the kind that halt production. A faulty conveyor belt. A jammed hydraulic press. A cooling system that suddenly quits on a summer day. These moments don’t just delay work—they cost money, eat into morale, and throw entire schedules off balance. But what if you could stop most of those problems before they start? That’s where equipment preventive maintenance software comes in. Instead of waiting for a breakdown, this software helps teams plan, track, and complete regular maintenance before something goes wrong. It’s like giving your machines a check-up before they show symptoms—and it pays off. Let’s dig into how the right software helps cut downtime and keeps operations humming along. Spotting Trouble Before It Starts One of the most significant benefits of equipment preventive maintenance software is its ability to catch early warning signs. When inspections and servicing are done consistently, minor wear and tear doesn’t turn into major failure. Think about it. A simple belt alignment today might save you from having to replace an entire motor next week. The software tracks every maintenance interval, making it easy to see what needs attention and when. You don’t have to rely on memory or gut instinct. The system thinks for you. Automated Scheduling Leads To Fewer Missed Tasks Let’s be honest—relying on sticky notes, spreadsheets, or team memory is a recipe for missed maintenance. Equipment preventive maintenance software removes that risk by automating task schedules. Whether it’s a weekly filter check or a quarterly oil change, the system creates a repeating schedule and sends reminders when it’s time to act. If something is overdue, it gets flagged. This way, preventive maintenance becomes a routine instead of a reactive measure. Over time, fewer surprises mean fewer shutdowns. Better Visibility into Asset Health Not all equipment ages at the same rate. Some machines work harder than others. Some operate in dusty, wet, or extreme conditions. The software stores each asset’s full history, making it easy to spot patterns. Do you have to repair the same valve every month? Is one line requiring more downtime than the others? With that kind of insight, you can make smarter decisions, such as upgrading a problematic machine or scheduling more frequent servicing for high-use equipment. Clear Communication Across the Team © Laurenz Heymann via Unsplash © Mayer Tawfik via Unsplash Say one technician logs an issue. Another one comes in on the next shift and doesn’t know the status. That kind of miscommunication wastes time—and often leads to work being repeated or forgotten. With centralized maintenance software, everyone sees the same real-time updates. Work orders are logged in one place, and notes, photos, and status changes are accessible to anyone on the team. Mobile Access from Anywhere Maintenance doesn’t happen behind a desk. Most of the action takes place on the floor, ladders, or in the far corners of the plant. Mobile access allows technicians to view checklists, log updates, scan QR codes, and complete work orders directly from their phones or tablets. No running back and forth. No waiting to update a shared spreadsheet. It’s faster, more accurate, and much less frustrating. Fewer Emergency Repairs Emergency repairs are chaotic. They usually require pulling technicians off other jobs, sourcing hard-to-find parts, and running overtime to make temporary repairs. Preventive maintenance software helps shift the focus from emergency to planned work. By handling small issues before they escalate, the team deals with fewer late-night phone calls or weekend repair marathons. It’s not just about equipment—it’s about sanity. Smarter Parts and Inventory Management You can’t fix what you don’t have the parts for. Equipment preventive maintenance software lets you track inventory, set reorder points, and link parts to specific assets. If a belt or sensor is frequently used during servicing, you’ll know to keep extras on hand. The system can even alert you when stock runs low. This way, when something needs fixing, you’re not stuck waiting days for a shipment—or scrambling for a workaround. Consistency Across Teams and Shifts Standardizing maintenance procedures means that everyone does the job the same way, every time. The software lets you build custom checklists, SOPs, and documentation directly into each task. Whether it’s a daily inspection or a semi-annual overhaul, your team has step-by-step guidance at their fingertips. This reduces errors, improves quality, and builds confidence. Even if someone’s covering a shift they’re not used to, they’re never left guessing. Measurable Results You Can Act On One of the most powerful aspects of using software is the ability to measure progress. How many tasks were completed on time last month? Which machines cause the most downtime? How quickly are work orders being closed? The software provides reports and dashboards that turn data into decisions. You can see what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. It’s not just about fixing problems—it’s about improving processes. Final Thoughts Downtime is expensive—and stressful. In projects like the Idilia Cocoa Cream Factory by ARQUID, the intersection of architectural design and operational efficiency highlights how essential it is to keep systems running without interruption—making preventive maintenance not just a technical need, but a design priority. Equipment preventive maintenance software provides teams with the structure, visibility, and automation they need to stay ahead of problems, rather than reacting to them. If your team is still firefighting more than planning, it might be time to switch gears. Fewer breakdowns and smoother shifts could be just one software upgrade away. Construction by ArchEyes Team Leave a comment

A Moratorium on New Construction, the forthcoming book by Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, poses an unsettling question for many architects: What if we stopped building? And, in turn, what ecological and social benefit would such a moratorium deliver? How would it change practice? Malterre-Barthes is a professor at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL). She was previously at Harvard GSD, where she taught seminars and studios about building moratoria. Her years of research on the topic culminate in the new book published by Sternberg Press as part of its Critical Practice Series, edited by Nikolaus Hirsch and Markus Miessen, and illustrated by Lara Almarcegui. AN spoke to Malterre-Barthes on Earth Day, ahead of her book’s June release. AN: What would a moratorium on new construction look like? CMB: It wouldn’t look too different from architecture practices that focus on renovation. In terms of how this would impact the everyday, it would mean a shift in the type of work offices take. Instead of doing new construction, most work would be adaptive reuse and renovations, and also potentially undoing the built environment. Part of the work would also be to join the public discussion about what shouldn’t be built. But in terms of immediate shifts in how practice works, I don’t see it as a radical change. In Europe, about 50 percent of the business in architectural practices is already renovations. AN: If architects aren’t making new buildings, what other things can they do? CMB: We will take care of our existing building stock. If we don’t build new, we have to take care of the stuff we already have, right? Our existing stock is immense if you consider it globally. Apart from renovation and adaptive reuse, architects would include maintenance as an architect’s primary task, something Menna Agha already articulated. In many countries, architects have a 10-year responsibility regarding a building they have designed. There are architects who come back every year to check if the building is in its best possible shape, and whether things need to be adjusted, from interior layout to insulation. So maintaining buildings is something we already know how to do. But, in many cases, we cannot charge for anything related to the building’s aftercare or afterlife, and these aspects have yet to be centered, as Daniel Abrahamson wrote. Another thing we’re equipped to do is create images and narratives, which I find really important. Architects can design futures. I would say this is the most interesting part of our work. We’re able to envision futures other than the ones we’re being force-fed that accentuate our current problems. This is why resisting by creating new narratives and different futures is essential. Future- and world-making are skill sets that could be pushed further with a moratorium on new construction. AN: Learning from Indigenous knowledge systems is an important part of this line of thinking. You cite Sufi cosmologies, for instance. CMB: Of course. I learned very late that, in architecture school, I was stripped of entire canons. Architectural education is very Western-centric. This means students are deprived of entire skill sets, of other ways of creating climatic and material solutions. In Europe, I was taught to design with concrete, and in the U.S., everything is balloon framing—material at the service of design and cost-cutting. There’s a real need to learn from other cultures instead of destroying them. AN: How do you reconcile the need to stop building with the pressing need for new housing? CMB: I’ve already had a taste of what opposing new construction as a solution entails on X. I think YIMBY and NIMBY approaches need to be interrogated. Assuming that we can solve the housing crisis simply with new construction is the wrong way to go about this. Research shows that what’s being constructed isn’t benefiting the people who need housing the most. I’m very critical of the assumption that new construction is the only way to house a growing population. I think reassessing what we already have, and property reforms and housing allocation systems, is the way ahead. I’m aware this is not a popular opinion at the moment, but it’s my job to articulate alternatives. Most mortgaged housing in the U.S. is actually somehow publicly owned through debt guarantees, if you think about it. So we would not be that far away from redistributing housing and built space in that sense, if there were a political will to do so. AN: Some architects have called the building moratorium “professional suicide.” Why shouldn’t architects be afraid of the moratorium? CMB: This is a question between short-term and long-term. What should we prioritize? Some say we need to give precedence to our economic survival. I understand that. But there’s a need to shift the design office’s business model as well. This means rethinking how we work, the structure of the office, and what kind of work we want to do.  An example is my current dean at EPFL, Sophie Delhay. Her office only does public housing, which is acquired through competitions. So, of course, she’s doing new construction, but she has positioned her office to do that particular kind of work, at the service of the public. I guess it is also about deciding what you or the office you work for will and won’t do. Prisons, for instance. Many architects have signed pledges not to build these.  This is to say, I think the building moratorium forces architects to ask what position they should take instead of going with the flow. People will say: “If I don’t build, my office will collapse,” and so forth. I believe that if an office survives only thanks to exploitative practices, then maybe it shouldn’t exist in the first place, right? Again, this is an unpopular position. But I think there needs to be a more conscious discussion on how to fix the office. Originally, my chapter “Fix the Office” was called “Kill the Office.” But I am an optimist at heart, and I do believe the office can and should be fixed.  AN: How does your proposal for a building moratorium differ from other proposals today by, say, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other entities which call for decarbonization? CMB: At the core of this thinking is “carbon myopia” which I am trying to deconstruct. I think at times the decarbonization discourse is repackaged greenwashing. Life cycle assessments and carbon calculations are just tools. They can be used to serve problematic narratives that suggest, for instance, demolishing and building new is better than upgrading a structure. This is one limit of these calculations.  This carbon myopia is blind to all the things that come with the harm we generate by building new—from demolition to new construction activity. Tools like LCA can’t quantify how community networks are destroyed by demolition and displacement. They can’t quantify use value, or calculate the externalized harm that material extraction generates. Carbon calculation metrics place no value on these externalities. That’s why I’m cautious of these decarbonization narratives, because I doubt that they really can capture the reality and the extent of the damage. A building moratorium goes beyond these sorts of technocratic fixes made with Excel sheets. AN: What do you hope people take away from your book? CMB: First, I hope people don’t fall asleep because there are no images. Jokes aside, I hope it brings to the table these topics that need urgent discussion within architecture and beyond—to stop the damage. I hope it can go beyond the discipline, into the industry, and reach a wider audience. I hope it helps articulate a path forward. Perhaps it is true that we cannot design our way out of this crisis, but we may articulate an emancipated path forward. I also hope it can be a good conversation tool, a shocker to start conversations like, “If we can’t build, what are we going to do?” I believe it can trigger uncomfortable conversations to move forward and act.

At Spelman College, just over one third of enrolled students are pursing degrees in science and technology. The all-women HBCU in Atlanta also prides itself on its arts program. As advances in technology continue to blur distinctions between these disciplines, Spelman saw a need for a new facility where students pursuing coursework centering electronics or studying computer science could collaborate and comingle with those obtaining degrees in the performing or visual arts. Studio Gang designed the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts not to just foster connection and collaboration among disciplines, but also to invite the public in. “The students wanted this connection to the immediate community,” Jeanne Gang told AN. “Spelman wanted to put students’ work on a bigger stage but also embrace the community around them. The building helps facilitate that.” The Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts designed by Studio Gang is located at the edge of the Spelman College campus, to allow for public engagement. (Tom Harris) Located on the campus periphery, the site for the multidisciplinary building was selected to cultivate connection with nearby neighborhoods, where a burgeoning art scene with galleries and art studios has already taken hold. Studio Gang’s design reflects a need for openness and connection with double-height spaces and a facade fabricated to let light in. Programmatically, the public-facing spaces occupy the ground floor—the black box theater, other performance stages, dance studios, and an art gallery were all located there. A central atrium on the second floor, dubbed the Forum, anchors the space. Classrooms, rehearsal studios, and technology labs occupy the second and third floors. An elevated walkway, designed for student and faculty access, connects to the second level. (Courtesy Studio Gang) Outside, on the campus-facing elevation, a bridge connects to the second story. This elevated walkway can be used by faculty and students when the first floor is in use for a public event. The portion of the building facing the city is marked by a “porch,” as Gang referred to it: a hardscaped patio that spills out from the building and into the city streets. An unapologetic use of glass on the building promotes openness, but beckons a need for a strong shading scheme, one that can control light where needed and achieve sustainability standards. The powder-coated steel shading structure applied to the facades was largely dictated by the building’s southwest orientation. It was paired with brick on the ground level, corrugated siding, and glass. Gang described the facade’s shading implementation as “a rhythm based on the fenestration and the orientation,” adding, “the pattern comes from what is needed, but is artfully deployed.” The building’s color palette pulls from Georgia’s red clay soil and masonry buildings on campus. (Tom Harris) The deployment of the exterior shades and window placement curates a balance between unwanted glare and desired natural light, while reducing the building’s energy use—a carbon win. It’s well implemented above the Forum, where a skylight, oriented north, filters in light that is shaded by the walls. Similarly, in double-height spaces, like the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab, the external shading is complemented by blinds inside to deliver a well-lit work and studying environment. A skylight above the Forum is one inventive way natural light enters the interiors. (Tom Harris) While many spaces were designed with specific programmatic requirements, communal spaces were conceived for flexible use. (Courtesy Studio Gang) The color palette, achieved through a mix of metals, pulls from Georgia’s red clay soil and the masonry prominent on other campus buildings. Patterns, textures, and the angular shapes deployed on the facade permeate inside. Mullions on the skylight and the railings lining the Forum recall the functional yet decorative elements outside. White walls inside are ripe for pinups and displaying student work. Color was introduced sparingly via flexible, movable furnishings. Double-height spaces like the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab required additional shading measures. (Tom Harris) A black box theater is among the several performance and art-centered spaces inside the new building. (Tom Harris) While many spaces were designed for flexibility and informality, the sheer number of divergent activities and programs packed within the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts makes the opportunities for creativity and innovation limitless. From recording studios and rehearsal rooms, to photography studios and workshops, students, faculty, and the public will have a hard time not learning something new.

Adamo Faiden’s new veterinary clinic in Buenos Aires is a testament to the growing consideration for non‑human creatures in cities There is nothing to indicate it is a veterinary clinic, yet this anonymous building stands out from its neighbours. From the street, Calle Guayaquil, in the picturesque Caballito neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, its facade is an elegant patchwork of corrugated sheets. Some are white opaque metal, others are perforated, while the ones of transparent plastic give passers‑by a glimpse of what lies beyond, and of the sky above. On the overcast day of my visit, the greys of the sky blend with the building’s tones. With its shimmering skin and irregular height, it almost resembles a temple. The clinic, designed by the Buenos Aires‑based architecture practice Adamo Faiden, is situated between a two‑storey early‑20th‑century house and an eight‑storey residential tower made of red brick. Although there is no visible trace from the outside, the concrete frame of the site’s previous occupier – a townhouse also built in the early 20th century – was largely kept, in an attempt to avoid complete demolition. ‘Why should we demolish it if it works?’ asks co‑founder of Adamo Faiden Marcelo Faiden. Despite its boldness in terms of composition and materiality, the veterinary clinic’s facade remains respectful of its surroundings. Its articulation references the next‑door house’s height and elements such as the ground‑floor double door. On the pavement in front of the clinic, an old plátano hispánico, a plane tree commonly found in the city, has been preserved. The clinic’s nearly symmetrical facade responds to this tall tree; its central bay towers above the two lateral wings. ‘Plants and pets give life to the building’s otherwise austere language’ Instead of coinciding with this central axis, the entrance door is offset to the right – where the front door of its predecessor was also positioned. Walking in, I was surprised to see the small entrance hall open, past a glass door, onto a 10m‑tall atrium with natural light flooding the interior. Reminiscent of a winter garden, the nave‑like central space is used as a large waiting room; it is not hermetic, as perforations in the corrugated‑metal sheets on both the front and back facade let a pleasant breeze in, which helps keep the interior odour free. Most plots in the orthogonal urban grid of Buenos Aires – an inheritance from the Laws of the Indies during the Spanish colonisation – are just 8.66m wide, while their depth can vary, particularly if on the corner of a block. The 8.66m‑wide house that previously stood on the Guayaquil site was organised in three bays; the floor and roof slabs of the central bay, dedicated to circulation and featuring a prominent staircase, were removed and the space extended upwards to become this covered passage, which leads to a large garden at the back. The floor is made of concrete with exposed stone, while newly planted vegetation – and visiting pets – give life to the building’s otherwise austere architectural language. The programme is accommodated linearly on either side of this central axis; consultation rooms are on the ground floor, while a laboratory as well as X‑ray and operating rooms are up on the first floor. The 1.2m by 1.2m sheets of corrugated metal, and the metallic structure that supports them, cover the old concrete frame, giving rhythm and structure to the interior while dictating the dimensions of rooms. The old structure is more visible on the upper floor, where concrete columns are left exposed. Much less prominent than its predecessor, the new staircase is light and practical, located at the back, in the building’s southern corner.     The architects believe that all construction is an act of conversation with history. ‘History gives growth direction,’ Sebastián Adamo and Marcelo Faiden write in their monographic book The Contemporary Constructor, published in 2018. Since memory is ‘never perfect’, they argue it is ‘an image composed of, or degraded from, a previous situation or moment’. As a ‘partial construction’, each memory is ever‑evolving, and has ‘the potential for self growth’. Faithful followers of Lacaton & Vassal, they rely on industrial materials to create large volumes, while keeping costs low: corrugated as well as flat sheets of metal and PVC, off‑the‑shelf windows, iron and steel pipes, screens and meshes. They want users and inhabitants to appropriate the spaces they design, and be able to monitor internal circumstances to provide optimal conditions for life to occur – with gestures as simple as opening or closing a window. These are materials and ideas that Adamo Faiden have been experimenting with in their recent projects. One of their most recent, the Di Tella University pavilion, resembles a greenhouse; it functions as one in winter, trapping the sun’s heat, while in summer the roof gives way to a system of awnings that allow the heat to rise and escape. At Cepé House, completed in 2021, all the rooms are articulated around a central space that is covered by a large glazed roof; a simple system of sliding enclosures allows inhabitants to adjust visual connections and control the climatic environment. Back in 2012, they encased the mixed‑use 33 Orientales 138 building in a metallic ornamental mesh, a material they have used again for the recently opened branch of Italian restaurant Orno in the neighbourhood of Palermo. The Guayaquil veterinary clinic’s winter garden becomes an open‑ended space that is ventilated and luminous, but without a fixed programme. Reminiscent of Lacaton & Vassal’s ‘extra’ space, provided in addition to what is required and programmed, it is a space open to the interpretation of humans and their pets to play an active role in deciding when and how to inhabit it. Throughout the clinic, transparency prevails, making visible the constant movement of people and animals. Fixed and blind panels alternate with glazed panes and openings. Upstairs, the large central atrium is crossed by a bridge, part of the same modular system. The same width as a room, it is not reduced to simple circulation; furnished with a bench, it becomes a place where pets and their owners wait to be called in by the staff for their appointment. Argentina has more pets per capita than any other country in the world. Pet adoptions increased significantly during the Covid‑19 pandemic – at the time, taking your dog for a walk was one of the few valid reasons to be able to spend time outside. Today, 80 per cent o the families in the country who have at least one animal in their home own a dog. Buenos Aires alone counts an estimated population of 475,000 dogs – the most popular pet – and the city has adapted to it. There are now many dog walkers, pet shops and medical facilities; the Guayaquil veterinary clinic has been busy since its opening in 2022. The architects, who think that the greater recognition of cohabitation with non‑human species in cities gives us ‘rights and responsibilities’, see architecture as a way to ‘connect private ambitions with public needs’. By stripping the old Guayaquil townhouse back, the architects have chosen to do away with some of its layers, replacing them with air, lightness and vegetation that in turn infuse the surrounding city. At night, or on very cloudy days, the interior’s artificial lighting irradiates the street. 2025-04-23 Francesco Perrotta-Bosch Share AR April 2025Buy Now

Paul Hunt, the son of famous painter, William Morris Hunt, and the nephew of famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, built this house in Brookline, Massachusetts for $15,000 for him and his wife, Caroline. Paul had been involved in real estate development in Bar Harbor, Maine, where his mother had a summer cottage, and while not an architect himself, he was very interested in design and took a keen interest in developing estates with the family funds. While developing property in the summer enclave of Bar Harbor, Maine, Paul met the Bar Harbor architect, Milton W. Stratton, and the two collaborated in the construction of houses there and two adjacent homes in Brookline. The two-story house is wood frame construction with a stucco finish on the exterior. Spanish Colonial Revival in style, the roof is hipped with terra cotta tile, as is the roof of the verandah which extends across the facade. In 1911, Paul Hunt worked with architect William Ewing Harding to add the two-story wing on the side of the house, which is built over the driveway, creating a really unique (though not as functional) design element.