Hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency probationary employees were fired on Friday.But some staff at the EPA were told Wednesday they were fired by accident.Similar scenes have reportedly played out at several other federal agencies.On February 14, hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency staff were notified by email that they were being terminated.Five days later, the EPA emailed some of them to say they weren't being fired after all."This is to provide notification that the Agency is rescinding your termination. You are not being removed from EPA or from federal civil service at this time," read the email, which was seen by Business Insider.The unsigned email apologized "for this inconvenience" and thanked employees for their service. It also informed them that if they had already turned in EPA equipment like laptops and badges, their supervisors would help them get those items back.It's not clear how many employees had their firings rescinded. Business Insider spoke to three. All requested anonymity out of fear of professional reprisal, but their identities are known to BI.One agency employee whose termination was rescinded, a water-quality inspector, said working for the EPA was her "dream job" and said she hoped she could go right back to working on the cases that she was working on last week.Another said she wasn't even sure if she wanted to come back."I'm more on the angry side of grief now," the second employee said. "It's just ridiculous."The second employee told BI they were in a group chat with about two dozen other employees, and "10 or 15" had been told their terminations were rescinded.Two employees said at least some of the people who had their firings reversed had been hired through the EPA's "Pathways" program for recent college graduates.On Friday, an EPA spokesperson confirmed to BI it had terminated 388 probationary employees. According to information on doge.gov, about 1,579 EPA employees have less than a year of tenure, about 9.6% of the agency's workforce.Federal employees typically serve a one-year probationary period when first hired, during which they can be more easily terminated than permanent staff.Media representatives for the EPA and the White House didn't respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.Rescinding termination orders appears to be happening across the federal government.As Business Insider previously reported, some probationary staff at the Small Business Administration were told they were terminated, then not terminated, and then officially terminated over the course of five days.The publication Government Executive reported that terminations have been rescinded for workers in the Department of Energy and the US Department of Agriculture, which is dealing with a massive bird flu outbreak. The outlet reported that at least one Small Business Administration worker was fired twice, with the agency backtracking both times.The federal government fired thousands of probationary workersstarting last week, and more layoffs are expected this week as well.

Affordable Chinese electric vehicles are flooding into global markets but not the US.Tesla rivals BYD and Xpeng are bringing their ultra-smart EVs to a host of new countries.High tariffs have locked them out of the US, meaning American drivers may be cut off from cheap EVs.Tesla's China headache might be about to become a global one.Elon Musk's automaker has come under increasing pressure in the world's largest car market from local EV giant BYD and its rivals, who are now competitive with the Model Y manufacturer on both price and technology.In January, BYD sold nearly double the number of EVs as Tesla, with the US carmaker's sales slumping by 11% from the previous year.BYD increased the heat last week with its announcement that "God's Eye" self-driving tech would be offered in nearly all its vehicles, including the $9,500 Seagull. Tesla is still waiting for regulatory approval for its rival FSD system in China.The most concerning thing about BYD's sales for Tesla and other Western automakers is where they're coming from.BYD sold 66,000 vehicles outside China in January, a record figure that suggests the company's efforts to become a global powerhouse are bearing fruit. BYD has found success through more affordable offerings such as the $9,500 Seagull. WuYuan/Getty Images The EV maker, which once received backing from Warren Buffett, beat Toyota to become Singapore's top-selling car brand last month, and overtook Tesla's sales in the UK for the first time.With BYD's affordable electric and hybrid offerings gaining traction overseas, other Chinese EV players are beginning to follow their lead a move that analysts and industry execs fear could export the so-called "hypercompetition" of China's home market globally.European offensiveThe debut of Chinese EV startup Xpeng in the UK was no ordinary car launch.Tech executives and delegates from the Chinese embassy swanned through a grand hall within sight of Tower Bridge that was once a historic fish market, munching canapes and mingling around Xpeng's X2 flying car on display alongside its electric sedans and SUVs.It's a sign of the tech company ethos that Xpeng's executives were keen to highlight as they announced the company's first UK launch: the G6 SUV, priced about 6,000 ($7,500) less than Tesla's Model Y.The UK is Xpeng's newest market. It has also launched in France, Germany, and Italy in recent months. President Brian Gu said the company plans to expand its presence to more than 60 countries and regions in 2025."Our ambition is to be the No. 1 Chinese premium electric vehicle brand overseas," said Gu, adding that he defined "premium" EVs as costing more than $41,000.For brands like Xpeng, which still records big losses and lags well behind BYD in China's highly competitive EV market, international expansion may be a necessity rather than a luxury."The China market is ultra-competitive, so it's going to be really difficult for them to carve out huge market share gains in the short-term because of the price war," Tu Le, managing director of Sino Auto Insights, told Business Insider. Xpeng showed off the company's X2 flying car concept at its UK launch. Business Insider While the UK has not imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, making it a tempting target for expansion, the European Union followed the US last year in imposing import taxes of up to 35% on EVs made in China.That has not stopped brands like Nio and Leapmotor, which has a partnership with Jeep-owner Stellantis, from joining BYD and Xpeng in moving into the continent.Their expansion has put local automakers on notice. Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan told BI that he doesn't believe EU tariffs will stop Chinese EV companies from becoming major players in Europe.The boss of the Swedish carmaker said the influx of Chinese vehicles into Europe, alongside brutal competition in China, will force local automakers to up their game."As the non-Chinese brands lose market share in China, they're going to have to find market share somewhere else. That means they're going to become more competitive in their home markets and global markets around the world," Rowan said.US risks being left behindOne market that China's EV champions are unlikely to target anytime soon is the US, thanks to 100% tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles introduced by the Biden administration.These import levies mean the US has had to watch as other regions like Europe get access to affordable electric models like the $32,000 BYD Dolphin, and local brands like Renault launch their own mass-market EVs to compete.The absence of this trend has helped keep US electric vehicle prices high, with customers paying around $8,000 more on average for an EV compared to Europe. This raises fears that US consumers could be cut off from accessing affordable electric models."On the current trajectory, the US is going to get cut off. There are 95 countries outside China where you can buy BYD cars, and we can't," said Tu Le.Legacy US automakers have been slow to shift to electric vehicles, with companies like Ford and General Motors rolling back ambitious EV strategies over the past year.President Donald Trump has also vowed to remove emissions targets and scrap federal support for electric vehicles, a move that will likely slow the transition to electric vehicles.Tu Le warned that a lackluster EV industry in the US risked making the American auto industry less globally competitive, hurting the ability of the likes of Ford and General Motors to compete with their Chinese rivals overseas."I'm hopeful we can change the culture and bring products to market that are competitive globally, not just in the United States. As things are, it feels like the Detroit two are effectively on their way to becoming single-market companies," he said.

This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Voxs newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions.Im working on a longer piece, so I wanted to bring you something a little lighter for this weeks newsletter. Ive been reading Arnold Lobels Owl at Home with my 2-year-old recently, and I find myself thinking about it long after hes asleep. Owl at Home is less famous than the Frog and Toad books for which Lobel is best known, but its always been a favorite in my house. The book tells five very short stories about Owl, a fearful but ultimately loving bird with an unusual outlook on the world. Until very recently, my 6-year-old demanded a nightly reading of the second story, Strange Bumps, in which Owl becomes so terrified of the sight of his own feet under a blanket that he destroys his bed and ends up sleeping in a chair. My 2-year-old, by contrast, is partial to Tear-water Tea, a frankly bizarre tale in which Owl makes himself cry into a tea kettle by thinking of sad subjects, like pencils that are too short to use. At the end of the story, Owl boils his own tears and takes a sip. It tastes a little bit salty, he says, but tear-water tea is always very good. I like to think of this as Owls own little meditation practice, in which he considers all the sorrows of his life, allows them to move through his body, and then reabsorbs them into himself, now transformed into a delicious (I guess) beverage.This particular dark and threatening February is not the worst time to remind ones children, or oneself, that we all have a creative power within ourselves, something no one else can take away. For fans of Frog and Toad, Owl at Home published in 1975, after the first two Frog and Toad books can feel like a bit of a left turn. The Frog and Toad stories are all about the deep friendship and love between the two main characters. Lobel never stated outright that they were meant to be a couple, but his daughter has pointed out that the two are of the same sex, and they love each other, and has said that the stories were the beginning of him coming out as a gay man.If Owl has a Frog in his life, however, we never see him in fact, Owl does not interact with another sentient being in the entire book. Theres a school of thought that Owl at Home is about loneliness, but Owl doesnt seem upset about his lot in life.Instead, he forms a variety of relationships, both friendly and contentious with his feet, with the season of winter (he ends up having to kick it out of his house), and, in my favorite story, with the moon.Owl and the Moon, the final section of the book, finds Owl gazing into the sky: If I am looking at you, moon, then you must be looking back at me. We must be very good friends.The friendship hits a few snags the moon tries to follow Owl home, and Owl is worried it wont fit through his door but by the end, all is well. With the moon looking on from outside, Owl gets into bed and peacefully shuts his eyes.The moon was shining down through the window, Lobel writes. Owl did not feel sad at all.To me, this story indeed, all of Owl at Home is about the joy of an inner life, something that can flourish even with little input from the outside. All Owl needs is the moon, a kettle, some weird ideas about tea and sadness, and a cozy bed (which he must have rebuilt after Strange Bumps), and he can create a whole world.Dont get me wrong, I enjoy people, and I do not advocate retreating from society to live in a fantasy world populated by seasons and celestial objects (or, like, do I?). But this particular dark and threatening February is not the worst time to remind ones children, or oneself, that we all have a creative power within ourselves, something no one else can take away. Read it today, and Ill see you next week.It tastes a little bit salty, he said, but tear-water tea is always very good. Arnold Lobel, courtesy of HarperCollinsWhat Im readingSome school districts are trying to figure out how to respond to President Donald Trumps executive order on Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, which officials say appears to conflict with existing laws.Trump supporters are increasingly claiming that childrens learning differences are exaggerated or not real, and the claim could have serious consequences for kids with disabilities.Kevin Stitt, the Republican governor of Oklahoma, says he will not approve a proposed plan to collect kids immigration status when they register for school.In addition to Owl at Home, my little kid and I have been reading Before, Now, a beautifully illustrated story by Daniel Salmieri about growing up and connecting to both the future and the past.From my inboxLast week I wrote about the rise of universal preschool policies around the country. This week, in lieu of reader emails, Ill leave you with this recent poll by the First Five Years Fund illustrating the bipartisan nature of the issue: 91 percent of Republicans (along with 97 percent of Democrats) believe the lack of affordable child care is a problem, and 55 percent of Republican voters say increasing access to quality child care is as important for families as border security.As always, if you have a question, a recommendation, or a topic youd like me to cover in the future, get in touch at anna.north@vox.com.See More:

As soon as I sat down to write this, I got a text that simply said, Hi. In another era, I may have been intrigued by the mysterious message from an unknown number. Maybe I wouldve been curious about who wanted to say hello, and texted back. But this is not my first time playing this game.Scam texts are a growing multibillion-dollar industry. As robocalls become less common thanks, in part, to a 2009 law that forced phone companies to do more to stop them complaints about text scams increased 500 percent from 2015 to 2022. While its hard to nail down an exact number of spam messages sent in a given day, the problem is getting worse. Its not just that youre getting bombarded with more text scams than ever. The texts are also starting to get really sophisticated. Id like to say Ive never clicked on a link in a spam text, but Id be lying. Maybe it was about an issue with a mysterious package or an unpaid parking ticket or some political thing it doesnt really matter. With so much of our personal data now appearing online and with the help of AI, text scams are getting smarter, more targeted, and more dangerous. The software we need to stop spam texts is being outpaced by the software used to generate them, which does not bode well for our ever-evolving relationship with technology. So thats the bad news and the worse news. The good news is that humans are, so far, smarter than the machines. With a combination of savvy and software, you can reduce your exposure to text scams or, at the very least, your likelihood of actually becoming the victim of a scam.Another text scam I got this week involved an alleged unpaid toll, with a link to pay and a friendly sign-off (The Toll Roads team wishes you a great day!). As it happens, I probably do owe somebody money for an unpaid toll, but its not The Toll Roads team. The link in the text, which ended in .world, was the biggest red flag. I did not click this link, but if the text had been more personalized perhaps by using my name or mentioning that the toll was in the state of New York, where I live maybe I would have.This is where were heading. Common scams, like those involving unpaid fines, job recruiters, the IRS, and undelivered packages, can become exponentially more dangerous if they include your personal details, including your email and home address. And following years of data breaches, a growing amount of data about you is available for scammers to leverage. Meanwhile, generative AI makes it easy for bad actors to craft convincing, typo-free messages on a massive scale. Sometimes all you have to do is read the text to give the scammer more leverage.Common scams, like those involving unpaid fines, job recruiters, the IRS, and undelivered packages, can become exponentially more dangerous if they include your personal details.Depending on what your read receipts are like, then the bad guy might know that you opened the text, Teresa Murray, a consumer watchdog at the US PIRG Education Fund, told me. And then, God forbid, if you click on any links or anything like that, or call the number thats on the text, then its off to the races.There are multiple ways for scammers to win here. If you click a link, you could be tricked into giving them money or misled into giving up more personal information, which is its own currency in the fraud marketplace. Many text scams are also phishing schemes, and the links point to a webpage designed to steal your login credentials. At best, clicking the link proves to bad actors that youre alive and willing to go along with the scheme.The total amount of money lost to phone scammers in 2024 was over $25 billion, which works out to an average of about $450 per victim. Older adults are actually less likely to fall for certain scams, mostly because theyve learned not to pick up their phones. The vast majority of Americans over 65 say they dont answer if they dont recognize the number, and 57 percent of the same group have put their names on the national Do Not Call registry a database run by the Federal Trade Commission since 2003 according to a recent report from the call blocking service Truecaller.Younger Americans have it worse. The same report found that people between the ages of 18 and 44 are three times as likely as older Americans to fall for phone scams, including spam texts, and 25 percent of that group have reported being a victim more than once. Only 30 percent of them say theyre on the Do Not Call registry. What you can and cant do to escape text scamsBecause it was designed to stop unwanted calls from telemarketers, the Do Not Call registry doesnt do too much to cut down on spam texts. Furthermore, many of those texts come from abroad, and without an international phone police patrolling the lines, a scammer running a SIM farm in Southeast Asia can blow up your phone with alerts about undelivered packages to their hearts content.SIM farms, also known as phone farms or SIM banks, are systems equipped with multiple SIM cards that can send large numbers of texts or place calls simultaneously, and cost just a few hundred dollars to set up. Its virtually free for scammers to acquire phone numbers, and unlike robocalls, which happen in real-time, spam texts get sent in big batches in a split second. If a number gets blocked, the scammer can just start using a new number and keep spamming. Now, they can also use generative AI to craft more convincing, personalized messages.Meanwhile, phone companies face fewer regulatory requirements to protect their customers from these spam texts. The TRACED Act, which was implemented in 2021, gave the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tools to prevent robocalls, including a caller ID verification framework called STIR/SHAKEN. But it wasnt until 2024 that the FCC enacted its first rule specifically targeting spam texts.Youd think that stopping spam texts should be as easy as using a spam filter, like email providers have been doing for decades. But text messages are not nearly as sophisticated as email technology. The basic technology SMS, or Short Message Service dates back to the 1980s and is hardly secure.SMS lacks built-in security controls, such as email authentication protocols Adam Meyers, head of counter adversary operations at the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, explained in an email. While phone carriers and software makers implement filters and blocking mechanisms, adversaries constantly evolve their tactics.The challenge is to filter out the unwanted messages, without blocking legitimate ones. That means distinguishing texts from your friends, your bank, your DoorDash driver, or your new friend whos not yet in your contacts list from spam texts. Many companies and organizations also do send legitimate messages in bulk, using short codes five- or six-digit numbers that must be registered with the CTIA, the wireless industrys trade association, which also governs how people can interact with these texts.Pro tip: Dont delete trusted messagesYou probably get tons of automated messages from trusted sources, like your pharmacy, bank, or food delivery service. That also includes verification codes if you use your phone number for two-factor authentication as well as texts from short codes, including political campaigns. Dont delete these messages right away. This way, if you get a new message from a trusted source, it will likely show up in the same thread and spare you the stress of wondering if its the real deal. Even better: Go ahead and put a label on it, put it in your contacts, said PIRGs Teresa Murray. And then if you get what looks like a verification code from XYZ bank, but its not coming from the saved contact, then that could be a red flag for you. Unfortunately, scammers dont care much for laws or rules, and phone companies will only do so much to combat the never-ending torrent of spam texts. It costs money to build filters that can attempt to keep up with the scammers methods, and some carriers include those tools in the cost of their service. Others charge for better tools. Verizon, for instance, offers basic filters for free, and plus filters for an extra $4 a month.Its real work to do this. Theres a significant amount of analysis, Alex Quilici, CEO of the call-blocking service YouMail, told me. Im sympathetic, but carriers have a fairly hard problem.When it comes to avoiding text scams, you have options. In addition to whatever your carrier offers, there are apps like Truecaller, TextKiller, RoboKiller, and Hiya.Ive never paid for one of these services, so I cant say how well they work. I can say that not answering your phone continues to be a solid way to avoid robocallers and a great way to miss a call from your doctors office. Caller ID can be easily spoofed, so dont pick up if youre not expecting a call. If in doubt, skip the call, and call the legitimate number back.You can also report scammers to the FCC by forwarding the message to 7726, which spells SPAM, or file a complaint on the agencys website. You can report all kinds of fraud to the FTC or to your states attorney general.The most important thing to do is not engage with scammers. Even if theyre saying Hi and seem friendly, responding to or even reading a spam text just tells the bad actor that youre a real human and a target. For now, know that youre smarter than the AI, and ignore it.A version of this story was also published in the Vox Technology newsletter. Sign up here so you dont miss the next one!See More:

PGA Tour 2K25 a definite improvement on the last game (Take-Two Interactive)2K Games latest sports sim may not be the prettiest or most realistic but it does play an enjoyable round of golf.For a brief moment, officially licensed PGA Tour Golf games started to resemble buses, with two coming along at once: PGA Tour 2K23 and the far superior EA Sports PGA Tour. Publishers brief fascination with the concept did not last though (which in turn implies they didnt sell that well) and its taken Take-Two almost three years to return with a new game.Barring their brief comeback in 2023, EA Sports held the PGA Tour licence since 1990 but relinquished it in 2015. Take-Twos first entry was PGA Tour 2K21 and while the recent gap has been longer than intended the plan was never to have yearly sequels, so that Canadian developer HB Studios could have time to make more substantial improvements between iterations.But those who simply love a good golf game rather than demanding rigorous simulations should be more than happy with PGA Tour 2K25. HB Studios has clearly concentrated on getting the nuts and bolts of the gameplay right, with a new control system that offers the best simulacrum of swinging a golf club by moving a joystick up and down that weve ever seen. The player models arent very convincing, but the games 27 golf courses look and feel fantastic.By the general standards of expensively acquired sports licences, HB Studios is a pretty small outfit, and that shows in certain aspects of PGA Tour 2K25 most noticeably in its rendering of the golfers, both real and imagined. It has a Create-a-Player option, which lets you design someone to represent you at the tee, but whoever you go with inevitably ends up looking a bit weird, not helped by some shonky texture work.At launch, PGA Tour 2K25 will only have officially rendered representations of 11 of the PGA Tours myriad real-life players, which is so few the women end up competing in the mens tour just to make up the numbers. But if HB Studios have had to pick their battles it does feel as if theyve chosen the right ones.By comparison, the games physics more than passes muster shots from the rough fly much as they would in real life, and if you chip halfway up a steeply sloping green, your ball will end up back at your feet, just as it should. Gusting winds will catch elevated approach shots, and on sunny days, greens at the top courses will feel like putting on glass. In short, PGA Tour 2K25 feels believable and realistic.Plus, it uses a certain amount of smoke and mirrors to sidestep the issue of the unimpressive-looking virtual golfers. You play your rounds in isolation, without any playing partners around, and are occasionally shown standout shots performed by other golfers. The commentary is a bit uniform, with the same protagonists all the way through, but at least it mirrors the play with commendable accuracy.PGA Tour 2K25 has an unexpectedly clever career mode, in which by playing you can level up both your golfers attributes and his or her clubs, and even the ball (giving a driver greater tolerance to hooks and shanks, for example, or adding to its power).We started off on the Korn Ferry Tour (you can also opt to begin at the Q School which qualifies you for that tour or jump straight into the PGA Tour proper). But because we had cheated by selecting a new difficulty level (somewhat akin to a driving aid in a Formula One game) entitled Perfect Swing which vastly reduces the penalties you receive for swinging imperfectly we soon qualified for the PGA Tour by winning three tournaments.If you also opt to play only a selection of holes for each round you can cheat further by tweaking the AI simulation of your golfer so that it picks up shots on the simulated holes that you dont play. In other words, you can game PGA Tour 2K25 so it makes you feel like the greatest golfer in the world, which is fun. But eventually, anyone who is serious will turn Perfect Swing off, since it robs the clever control system of the fine control it offers. The course graphics are very good (Take-Two Interactive)If you thought that golf was a game for the aged, the career mode will attempt to disabuse you of that notion. One of its levelling up mechanics involves generating online followers, via your on-course heroics, your answers in post-tournament interviews, your rivalries with other pros, and your interactions with sponsors.Traditionalists might not be happy with the vast amount of virtual clothing and golf equipment that the game throws at you, but a younger audience weaned on loot boxes will surely find that intriguing. The fact that you can pay real money for in-game currency to level up your golfers attributes is unforgivable, however. But then it is Take-Two, who are worse with microtransactions than even EA.The career mode offers more variety than just playing a PGA Tour season: there are also cleverly conceived training exercises, which help hone different aspects of your game, and its also worth playing practice rounds, since those provide buffs that you take into your next tournament. You can also set up local couch-competitive play sessions on your favourite courses, and in a number of formats, including fourballs, which is highly commendable.More TrendingWhen you go online, things become altogether more serious, as indeed they should. Theres a full Ranked mode, or you can set up rooms for playing online with your friends on your own terms. The Ranked mode wont let you use the Perfect Swing difficulty level, although it does have three difficulty tiers: Pro-Am, Pro, and Master.So, if you want to go online, youll have to dispense with the training wheels, or else youll find yourself slicing horrifically into the undergrowth. There are also online Societies which you can join or create, which have the potential to foster a sense of community and which can support custom events, although few were up and running pre-launch.PGA Tour 2K25 does not offer the expensively polished facsimile of the real-life tournament that EA Sports games used to, but its still a very playable and engaging golf game. The single-player and online are both accessible and rigorous, depending on how you set them up, and while it may not be the prettiest golf game out there, its as much fun to play as any modern rival.PGA Tour 2K25 review summaryIn Short: Not the most polished of officially licensed golf games, but its passion for the sport and wide variety of options make it a very playable and fun experience.Pros: Great new control system, offering clever shot-shaping. Gloriously rendered golf courses, cleverly meaty career mode, and lots of local multiplayer options. Rigorous yet accessible online mode.Cons: Weird-looking virtual players and spectators, with only a small number of licensed pros. A barrage of loot box style virtual items, encouraging you to spend money to upgrade your player.Score: 7/10Formats: Xbox Series X/S (reviewed), PlayStation 5, and PCPrice: 64.99Publisher: 2KDeveloper: HB StudiosRelease Date: 28th February 2025Age Rating: 16 The people dont look that great (Take-Two Interactive)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

What Happens When BIG Design, D5 Rendering, and AI Collide? Simple: Creative MagicSponsored ContentSave this picture!Courtesy of BIGDesigning the next 'wow' project? It's like trying to catch lightning in a bottleexcept with BIG and D5 Render, you're handed the jar. Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), a global leader in architecture, is renowned for its bold designs and commitment to innovation. Constantly exploring new tools, BIG pushes the boundaries of design technology to optimize workflows and enhance creativity. With iconic projects worldwide, BIG has redefined architectural storytelling. By leveraging D5 Render's all-in-one platform, the firm has optimized its real-time design and visualization workflow, combining D5 rendering, animation, and AI to bring concepts to life with exceptional speed and precision.Project HighlightsBiosphere Tree HotelNestled in the forests of northern Sweden, the Biosphere Treehotel is a unique retreat designed to blend harmoniously with its natural surroundings. This project's use of local materials like wood and stone showcases the warmth, texture, and environmental integration that are central to its design ethos.By leveraging D5 Render's capabilities, the design narrative of Biosphere Tree Hotel can be vividly reimagined. Real-time rendering allows the exploration of lighting, materiality, and environmental settings dynamically, enabling precise visualization that aligns with the project's vision.Save this picture!The Twist MuseumAs one of BIG's most iconic projects, The Twist Museum in Norway demanded innovative storytelling to match its bold, sculptural form. The museum's design transitions seamlessly from one side of the river to the other, creating a dynamic and immersive visitor experience.D5 Render's phasing animation feature provides a powerful way to visualize and narrate The Twist's construction journey. By breaking down the project into dynamic, sequential stages, each phase is presented with clarity and precisionoffering not just a view of the final project, but a deeper understanding of the process behind it.Additionally, D5's built-in assets and real-time adjustments made it possible to create cinematic walkthroughs that highlighted key architectural features, enhancing client presentations and public engagement.Simplifying Workflow for a Global PracticeD5 Render's all-in-one platform can significantly reduce the need for multiple software tools, streamlining design processes from visualization to presentation. Faster Turnaround: Tasks like rendering and animation, which used to take days, now take hours. Enhanced Collaboration: Multiple architects can work on the same project simultaneously, with unparalleled efficiency and the ability to instantly see and respond to real-time updates. Integrated Processes: By combining rendering, animation, and AI tools in one platform, D5 reduced the need for external tools or plugins, saving time and resources. A New Era for Architectural Visualization"D5 has truly revolutionized the way we work at BIG. Its ability to handle some of the world's largest and most complex projects is a complete game changer. Unlike traditional rendering tools, D5 stores project files in the cloud, allowing the team to easily manage, access, and share them with people involved. It also works as a powerful standalone app, separating 3D assets from the design work done in Rhino." - Camila Antonella Mina, Architect at BIGD5 is more than a visualization toolit can be a catalyst for innovation. By simplifying workflows and enhancing design communication, D5 empowers architecture firms to focus on what matters most: delivering transformative projects.Discover more about D5 Render here. Image gallerySee allShow lessCite: "What Happens When BIG Design, D5 Rendering, and AI Collide? Simple: Creative Magic" 20 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026644/what-happens-when-big-design-d5-rendering-and-ai-collide-simple-creative-magic&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura Designs Mixed-Use Towers and a Seaside Resort in AlbaniaSave this picture!Red Sol Resort in Dhrma. Image Courtesy of Ricardo Bofill Taller de ArquitecturaArchitecture has been at the center of a transformation process in Albania, particularly significant in Tirana, its capital city. In 2017, the winning project for the Tirana 2030 Masterplan was unveiled, designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, UNLAB, and IND [Inter.National.Design] as part of a competition organized by the Ministry of Urban Development. Aiming to give Tirana a new metropolitan dimension while promoting and preserving green spaces, the strategy integrates a system of open spaces, natural elements, and strategic projects at key points in the city. The multidisciplinary Catalan firm Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura has contributed to this transformation with two mixed-use towers in Tirana and a resort project in the coastal town of Dhrmi, reflecting the distinctive aesthetic of Ricardo Bofill's work.Papuli Tower in TiranaSave this picture!Save this picture!The design of the Papuli Tower in Tirana is a tribute to La Fbrica, the historic building that houses Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura's offices. The new skyscraper features vast concrete cylinders, similar to those in La Fbrica, rising 190 meters above the capital and accommodating office, commercial, and residential spaces. The tower consists of four elongated silos (circular in plan) serviced by a central square core. This geometric clarity allows for flexible, practical floor plans, similar to those at the firm's headquarters. Their sense of theatre is mirrored through exaggerated proportions and similar interior palettes, including deep shades of terracotta flooring and oxidized concrete walls. The projects differ in the detailing, particularly in the facade texture and fenestration, giving Papuli Tower a contemporary industrial character that nods to Tirana's history as Albania's most heavily industrialized region. Related Article La Fbrica by Ricardo Bofill: A Harmonious Blend of Past and Present Barcelona Tower in TiranaSave this picture!Save this picture!Barcelona Tower is the firm's contribution to Tirana's skyline. Located near Skanderbeg Square, the city's main plaza and cultural heart, it is a modern landmark while respecting the site's historical identity. The 190-meter tower features a subtle twist, designed to improve energy efficiency and aerodynamic performance by increasing resistance to wind loads. A central concrete core supports the overall structure, while the floor plates rotate by a consistent degree as they ascend, tapering toward the sky like an obelisk. This mixed-use project includes offices on the lower floors and apartments above, set within a plinth containing commercial spaces at ground level. The design and rich red concrete pigment are inspired by the Albanian Photographic and Graphic Art Collection, incorporating references from the traditional fustanella skirt and architectural elements such as the stone pillars in La Piramide and Casa Mont-ras, both designed by Bofill's office in the 1970s.Red Sol Resort in DhrmaSave this picture!Save this picture!Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura's Red Sol Resort takes a rational approach to the landscape of the Albanian Riviera. The design responds to the rugged terrain, jagged rocks, steep mountainsides, and dense pine and cypress forests, by overlaying a fine grid onto the ground plane, creating a framework to organize the space. The floor plan consists of a series of squares, while the building section varies in height to provide different spatial experiences suited to hotel pavilions, apartments, and villas. Both the overall shape and materiality are intended to harmonize with the surrounding mountains and earth. The resort's different volumes are connected by exterior stairs, bridges, and walkways, evoking the image of a castle from afar. Community spaces include pools, patios, and sea-facing viewpoints, designed as exterior areas for quiet contemplation.These projects, still in the design phase, align with the evolving architectural language that characterized the work of Ricardo Bofill (19392022). His most recognized projects include the conversion of a disused cement factory into centralized offices for Taller de Arquitectura, The Factory (1973), the widely photographed coastal housing project La Muralla Roja (1968), and the visionary restoration of Maritxell Sanctuary (1978). However, beyond these well-known works, his portfolio is extensive in typologies, locations, and design approaches, including works ranging from utopian concepts to contemporary offices and universities.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorCite: Antonia Pieiro. "Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura Designs Mixed-Use Towers and a Seaside Resort in Albania" 20 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027159/ricardo-bofill-taller-de-arquitectura-designs-mixed-use-towers-and-a-seaside-resort-in-albania&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! 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