Following our previous visit toOFFICEUNTITLED (OU), we are keeping ourMeet Your Next Employer seriesin Los Angeles this week to explore the work ofAUX Architecture.Founded in 2008 and led by Brian Wickersham, the 40-person studio has amassed a portfolio along an ethos that brings craft and clarity to designs at every scalefrom hearth to urban realm. Archinect has previously reported on the firms success at the 2023 AIA|LA Design Awards, the 2022 American Architecture Awards, and the 2022 AIA California Design Awards, while 2022 also saw Archinect speak with Wickersham on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on architectural practice.Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm iscurrently hiringfor a Designer to join their Los Angeles team. For candidates interested in applying for a position or anybody interested in learning more about the firms output, we have rounded up five unique Los Angeles projects by AUX Architecture that exemplify the firms ethos.Glorya Kaufman Performing...

TheUniversity of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design has announced it will be extending the tenure of dean Frederick "Fritz" Steiner for two additional years through June 30th, 2027.Hejoined the school early 2016 in part a protest of the controversial "campus carry" weapons policy that was enacted at the University of Texas at Austin. Since that time, Steiner has been credited with improving the school financial position and bolstered DEI efforts for both students and faculty.Steiner, who also holds a prestigious Paley Professorship and teaches in the departments of city and regional planning and landscape architecture, said: I couldnt be prouder of the work that our faculty, students, and alumni are doing to build a better future. When you bring artists, designers, planners, and preservationists together, the possibilities are thrilling.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA), and the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB) have implemented a new Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). It replaces the previous MRA between the countries, created in 2016, further expanding licensure access for international architects.The new agreement recognizes the professional credentials of architects licensed or registered in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand and acknowledges the value of the various pathways to licensure within each country. As a result, unnecessary barriers to reciprocal licensure, such as extended experience requirements and limited paths to licensure or registration, are being reduced.Related on Archinect: Work and study agreement signed between architectural registration bodies of the UK, Australia, and New ZealandAs stated by NCARB President Kenneth R. Van Tine, The updated agreement is pivotal to NCARBs...

Victor Lundy, the renowned modernist architect whose work leaned on fine art and espoused a more humane form of architecture for the masses, has died in Texas at the age of 101, the Sarasota Observer is reporting.A true man of his times, Lundy served in the U.S. Armys 26th Infantry Division during World War II (his sketches from the war are considered important) before returning home to complete his B.A. and eventually matriculate into the Harvard GSD, where he studied for his masters degree under Walter Gropius.Lundys religious commissionsincluding the First Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, and the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sarasotaare, perhaps, his best-known projects alongside the United States Tax Court Building in Washington, D.C. Lundy was considered one of the leading figures of the Sarasota School. His watercolor practice was another important aspect of his approach to designing.Docomomo US thanked him for his optimistic spirit" in a commemorative post ...

A research team in Oregon has unveiled a mass timber prototype home that seeks to showcase a sustainable, energy-efficient alternative to traditional home construction. Designed by the TallWood Design Institute, a collaboration between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, the 760-square-foot project was unveiled at an open house event on November 7th.Image courtesy of the University of OregonImage courtesy of the University of OregonThe home, built from locally sourced mass plywood panels produced by Freres Engineered Wood, aims to address key issues such as affordable housing shortages, wildfire resilience, and economic sustainability. Unlike conventional timber construction, the home is constructed of mass plywood panels shaped to fit together like pieces of a gingerbread house, the team says.Image courtesy of the University of OregonImage courtesy of the University of OregonThrough the project, the team imagines a future where a home could arrive in a flatpack ...

The second day of this year's World Architecture Festival in Singapore ended with the announcement of 20 new winners in their select categories. The live presentations at Marina Bay Sands were selected from a group of 470 new projects to name the newest winners of the 2024 WAF and INSIDE World Festival of Interiors.The three-day festival concludes tomorrow with the announcement of the World Building of the Year and World Interior of the Year winners. The winners from Day Two can be seen below in their respective categories. You may also check out the finalists shortlisted for this year's WAF and INSIDE Festival by clicking through the links to each here and here.COMPLETED BUILDINGS

Our latest weeklycurated jobs roundupfrom theArchinect Job boardfeatures nine employers withexciting opportunities in theBoston area.For helpful guidance on how to get that next job, make sure to check outArchinect's Guide to Job Titlesseries and ourArchinect Tipscollection.Studio Luz Architects seeks a Project Manager/Designer or Architect"We are excited to announce an opportunity for a Project Manager/Designer or Project Architect to join our dynamic team in our Boston office. We are looking for a creative professional with 5-7 years of experience in architectural practice, who is adept at designing and producing construction documentation for various projects."Meyer Residence byStudio Luz Architects. Photo:John Horner, Tony LuongThe Galante Architecture Studio seeks a Project ManagerQualifications include five to eight years of relevant experience, fluency in AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft Office, experience with municipal projects an...

For this week's curated picks of architecture and design competitions listed on Bustler, we are featuring 14 AIA Awards programs seeking the best in a range of typologies, from urban design and housing to small projects and contemporary architecture.For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

British architectural historian Joseph Rykwert has died. The influential academic and writer who was considered to be a leading critical voice of his generation, taking aim at the banality of modernism and its encroachments on the urban sphere, lived to be 98 according to his New York Times obituary.Rykwert was the 2014 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture winner and author of more than a dozen texts on architecture and design. He also enjoyed a long and successful tenure as the Paul Philippe Cret Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design. His death follows the passing of colleagues Anthony Vidler and Jean-Louis Cohenlast year.

This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero 2024The American Institute of Architects California (AIA CA) invites students and professionals worldwide to participate in the twelfth edition of the Architecture at Zero competition, with a registration and submission deadline of December 16, 2024. This annual event calls for innovative, sustainable building designs that emphasize equity and resilience, providing a unique platform for creative solutions addressing todays architectural challenges.This years challenge focuses on designing a new facility for the Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School in East Los Angeles, California. Participants will create a replacement for existing relocatable classrooms, incorporating science labs, an art classroom, maker spaces, outdoor learning environments, and a teacher workroom. As an ideas competition, it encourages bold, visionary proposals rather than specific construction-ready solutions.A distinguished jury of international experts, s...

The World Building of the Yearwinner has beennamedas the fjcstudio-designed Darlington Public School in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia,in culmination of this years World Architecture Festivalin Singapore.

The Pang Mei Noodle Bar LFS in Beijing by Office AIO has been named the winner of this years World Interior of the Year award as part of the World Architecture Festival and INSIDE World Festival of Interiors.

In case you haven't checked outArchinect's Pinterestboards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various ArchinectFirmandPeopleprofiles.Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the boardBricks & Stones.Tip:use the handyFOLLOW featureto easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles. The Grand Mulberry inNew York, NY byMA | Morris Adjmi Architects Porcelain Factory Plugin Revival inJingdezhen, China byPeople's Architecture Office; Photo:Zhu Yumeng, Peoples Architecture Office House14a inHellerup, Denmark bypihlmann architects; Photo:Hampus Berndtson The renovation of Phoenix Terrace in the Taihu Resort Area inWuxi, China byParallect-design Manhattan Brownstone inNew York, NY byDelson or Sherman Architects;Photo:Jason Schmidt Glaze inToronto, ON byKilogram Studio; Photo:Scott Norsworthy MRIIA HOUSE inUkraine byMAKHNO Studio South E8 in Raleigh, NC byLorcan O'He...

The third and final days winners were announced earlier at the World Architecture Festivalin Singapore to end the 17th official edition of the program, which celebrates the best new architecture and interior designs across the globe annually.Superlative designs in the Future Project and Landscape categories were included in the announcement, along with the WAFX winner, several Special Prizes, and, of course, the two winners of the World Building of the Year andWorld Interior of the Yearas part of the three-day festivals end.Each project was judged live, along with presentations from their respective architects. This year saw a total of 42 projects selected as category winners on Day One and Day Two. The 18th edition of the World Architecture Festival will take place next year in Miami, Florida, from November 12-14.

The BLT Built Design Awards has announced its 2024 winners. A selection of stand-out projects across the competitions architectural design, interior design, construction product design, and landscape architecture categories were selected from over 800 entries from 57 countries. Projects were assessed by a jury of 31 architecture and design professionals, media experts, entrepreneurs, and academics. Both renowned figures in the field and emerging talents have been recognized.Look below to see this years winning projects:Architectural Design of the Year: ATMOSPHERE by Krallerhof in Leogang, Austria, by Hadi Teherani Architects

The new Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) for the month of October has shown a decrease of 5.3% to a new score of 197.2. This is down from Septembers revised reading of 208.2. Over the month, commercial planning fell 6.7%, and institutional planning declined 2.0%.The declines were reflected in most commercial planning categories with hotels serving as the sole outlier. Education and public planning activity expanded the institutional side, which was offset slightly by weaker activity in healthcare, recreational, and religious projects. Overall, the DMI was 13% higher than in October of 2023."In addition to data center planning normalizing, a moderate pullback in the number of planning projects for several other nonresidential sectors also contributed to the decline in the Dodge Momentum Index for October," Sarah Martin, the associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network, said. "Regardless, owners and developers remain confident in next years market conditions, and t...

The wait is over for followers of Studio Gangs campus expansion for the California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco. The project, which was first announced in late 2016, establishes an overlapping "creative ecosystem" inside the footprint of the school's existing campus located in the heart of the citys Design District.Image courtesy Jason O'RearThe program adds a total of 82,305 square feet of space in the form of two hybrid mass timber pavilions set on top of a concrete slab base and sheltering both a makers yard area and other conditioned outdoor spaces used for fabricating and multidisciplinary design education.Image courtesy Jason O'RearThe first, 24,300-square-foot Hooper Pavilion includes 48 art studios worth a total of 5,300 square feet. Along with those, there is a new 2,100-square-foot gallery for the exhibition students work, small lounge, another classroom space, and a 1,100-square-foot lecture hall with seating for up to 60 people.Image courtesy Jason O'...

Henning Larsen has expanded its Unboxing Carbon initiative with the release of two open-source catalogs detailing the carbon emissions of building materials for architects and designers. Originally launched in 2021 as a carbon literacy course, Unboxing Carbon aims to address the construction industrys need for climate action by providing practical knowledge on the environmental impact of materials.The first catalog, focused on exterior materials, was released in 2022. The latest updated edition now includes an interior materials catalog, covering options like wallboards, tiles, countertops, and finishes. Meanwhile, the exterior catalog now includes roofing and insulation materials, with refreshed data reflecting current manufacturing and environmental standards.Sundby School by Henning Larsen. Image credit: Rasmus HjortshjThe catalogs draw on data from over 1,000 participants in Henning Larsens workshops and include metrics like Global Warming Potential (GWP) from Environment...

Following our previous look at an opening forfellowships at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, we are using this weeks edition of ourJob Highlights seriesto explore open roles on Archinect Jobs for Healthcare Planners at Flad Architects, who are currently hiring for 37 positions across the country.The positions inRaleigh, Tampa, New York, Madison, andGainesville,call for individuals who will be responsible for master planning, programming, and developing large, complex medical facilities. The ideal candidates will have a minimum of 15 years of recent experience in master planning, programming, and developing medical projects, alongside a thorough understanding of codes and standards related to healthcare facilities.Novartis Holly Springs.Image courtesy of Flad ArchitectsWhy the role interests usThe open positions for Healthcare Planners at Flad Architects offers us the opportunity to explore a selection of completed healthcare projects by the firm, t...

The results are coming in from Singapore as part of the winner's announcements for the 2024 edition of the World Architecture Festival and its sister event, theINSIDE World Festival of Interiors.Held once again inside the Marina Bay Sands complex, the winners were judged live by a panel of experts. Projects in 20 categories were selected, with Australia, Canada, and Singapore in the lead at the end of the first day's activities.A total of 470 projects from around the world were included in the selection process for the 2024 edition. The newly announced Day One winners can be seen below in their respective categories. You may also check out the finalist shortlists for this year's WAF and INSIDE Festival here and here.COMPLETED BUILDINGS

With the upcoming 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on the horizon for 2025, the new interior renovations by Trahan Architects to one of its tragic epicentersthe historic Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisianais an important project to highlight following the completion of work in September of this year.The extension of an initial engagement, which began in the immediate aftermath of the storm, the latest commission authored a full interior renovation meant to improve accessibility, the fan experience, wayfinding, operational efficiency, and the team facilities for the citys beloved New Orleans Saints NFL franchise.Image Tim HursleyThe project, which was carried out in phases from 2020 on until the start of this year's football season, reconfigures perimeter concessions areas while installing a series of new atrium volumes that ease the speed of access to upper-level guest suites.Image Tim Hursley"The ingenuity of the original design enabled us to think beyond ...

Three finalists for the 2024 RIBA International Prize have emerged in the competition to be crowned as the next title-holder of the "worlds most transformative building."The fourth edition of the prize, which was first established in 2015, includes a juried selection taken from the slate of 22 winners of the RIBA International Awards for Excellence that was announced in June. The Grand Jury was comprised of Tosin Oshinowo, MoMA senior curator Paola Antonelli, and Lu Wenyu of Amateur Architecture Studio.RIBA President Muyiwa Oki states: "The conservation of the planets resources and the provision of the best housing in which people can grow and thrive remain two of the central concerns of architects around the world. From a timber-framed social housing building with an inventive use of space, to two projects focused on the repair, restoration and transformation of buildings to create new and useful space to work or participate in culture, these three inspiring projects demonstrate ...

The renovation of Helmut Jahns fought-overThompson Center building in Chicago for Google has provided an updated pair of renderings for the $280 million project. The update follows last Decembers release of the initial images for the reimagining. Google is pledgingto deliver a LEED Platinum-certified project in line with the late architect's post-modernist vision. Initial demolition work began in May and will advance over the next year towards completion in the year 2026.Image courtesy Google and PixelflakesImage courtesy Google and PixelflakesImage courtesy Google and Pixelflakes

Building Transparency has announced the development of Tally 2.0 in partnership with KieranTimberlake. This updated version of the LCA tool aims to enhance the building industrys capacity to evaluate and reduce the environmental impacts of materials and design choices.The original Tally tool was launched in 2013 by KieranTimberlake, who began developing the tool in 2008. In 2021, we included Tally as part of our deep dive into the various climate-orientated architecture software systems developed by architects and designers.Tally was the first LCA application allowing designers to assess the environmental footprint of projects within Revit. It has since been adopted by nearly 3,500 users in the architecture, engineering, and construction.Related on Archinect: Meet the Architects Designing Software to Fight Climate Change. Image:Screenshot from CLIMATESCOUT, an app created by CallisonRTKLBuilding upon the success of its predecessor, Tally 2.0 will introduce new features that p...

Critics are coming out in favor of a distinctive new residential apartment tower from Jahnafter the building opened at the south end of Michigan Avenue in Chicago in June. The 1000M project is a new high-rise accommodation meant to anchor the historic thoroughfare with 73 total stories and 738 units.Image credit: Tom RossiterHelmut Jahn is credited with leading its revised design from 2015 until his death in 2021, joined by a team that included Philip Castillo, Lynda Dossey, Peter Hayes, and Lucie Rigaldies.Image credit: Tom RossiterResidents enjoy access to its ground-floor lobbies from both the street level and a stately porte-cochere located on the western axis. The manipulation of air rights for this project allowed the design's floor plates to gradually expand at the northeast or southeast corners from a rectangular base into a more softened parallelogram form.Image credit: Tom RossiterA seven-level parking structure with 325 spaces services the building, which is draped...

As part of the Archinect In-Depth: Licensure series, Niall Patrick Walsh gathered perspectives from Mike Armstrong, CEO of NCARB, Pascale Sablan, President of NOMA, architect and author Melvin L. Mitchell, writer and editor John Parman, architect and Professor Emeritus at George B. Johnston and Peggy Deamer author and Professor Emerita at Yale University.Later, Kate Wingert-Playdon, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Architecture at Temple University, made the case for "always working in collaboration. That is a strong theme here at Tyler...so many good results in the built environment rely on good relationships, including well-conceived contractsRespect is a big piece of collaboration. This is not to say that all design comes down to a contract; it is still about creative thinking. But a good contract isnt just about business and law".NewsThe_Crow felt the Snhetta-led expansion for The Joslyn Art Museum was "pretty corporate tbh". Whats your take?Photo Nic Lehoux, cou...

French designer Marc Fornes and his Brooklyn studio THEVERYMANY have shared with Archinect images from a recent collaboration with Porsche on a pavilion design that was created for the automaker as part of Singapore Art Week.Image: DoubleSpace, courtesy of Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANYThere, his new My Two Cars Garage pavilion helped welcome the new Porsche all-electric Macan model. The pavilion derives its structural integrity from a unique monocoque shell shape that eliminates the need for internal supports or a traditional frame. Fornes refers to this process as "Frozen Tension."Image: DoubleSpace, courtesy of Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANYAs its name suggests, there is space for up to two cars with a sequence of "reveals" resulting from a geometrically complex, double-curved surface made from ultra-thin (1.5mm) aluminum strips. The pavilion's dimensions are equal to43.6 feet in length,35.4 feet in width, and23 feet in height. It required a total of202,203 rivets to assemble....

In this week'scurated employer highlightfromArchinect Jobs, we are featuring five architecture and design firms with current openings in New York City/Brooklyn, Norwalk, Connecticut, and Culver City.For even more opportunities, visit theArchinect job boardand explore our active community ofjob seekers,firms, andschools.In Culver City,WHY Architecturehas an opening for aProject Architectwith eight-plus years of experience and a strong knowledge of Revit, Rhino, Bluebeam, Adobe Creative Suite, and AutoCAD. Desired applicants have proven experience managing multiple assignments, experience leading a project team, have experience in all phases of projects, and possess strong communication and organizational skills.Speed Art Museum by WHY Architecture.S9 Architecturehas two exciting opportunities available inNew York City: anIntermediate Design Architectwith at least six years of experience and proficiency with Rhino, V-Ray, and Enscape; and aProject Architectwith ei...

MVRDV has completed the restoration of Aldo Van Eycks Tripolis Park office complex in Amsterdam.The project, which founder Winy Maas says was deeply personal to him as a fan of the eccentric late Structuralist master, re-establishes two buildings within the monumental original design to cater to Uber and other high-end tenants while greening the site and constructing a new 12-story 'landscraper' to protect against vehicular noise pollution.Image: Ossip van DuivenbodeThe complex links to one of Van Eycks most beloved designs, the Amsterdam Orphanage from 1960. MVRDV felt it was their responsibility to protect both its future and the architectural character of the Tripolis buildings facadesan act which required careful research done in unison with surviving Van Eyck family members and his available archives.Image: Ossip van DuivenbodeThe work they performed thereafter included adding an all-wood cladding material outside, while designing a more usable office environment i...

SO ILs Anima pavilion design for Art OmiPavilions at Chatham,Art Omi's brand new satellite pavilions offshoot in New Yorks Hudson Valley, has been released ahead of its anticipated 2026 debut.Image courtesy SO ILForming as a "shifting presence" on the undulating meadows at the site, the pavilion offers visitors five interconnected gallery spaces defined by their own distinct lighting and proportions and serviced by unidirectional (e.g. one way in and out) entrances.Image courtesy SO ILSet against its surroundings with monochromatic dark gray cladding and a conical stacked wooden block roof structure, the design is equal to about 1,860 square feet and oscillatesbetween 7 and 35 feet in height at its pinnacle.Image courtesy SO ILThe roof itself is composed of thousands of small wood blocks stacked to crate a "gauze-like" illusion and discrete filigreed texture. Back inside, the gallery spaces are reserved for the presentation of individual artworks. This is meant to a...

The School of Architecture at Florida Atlantic University is sharing its public speakers and events information for the new academic year as part of our Get Lectured series.The poster below, designed by the school's Director, Joseph Choma, combines a layered graphic with a series of folded pleats. "The simple symmetrical crease pattern adds a subtle three-dimensional depth, while the graphic design provides another visual depth to complement and contrast with the folds," Choma told Archinect.Image courtesy of Joseph Choma/FAU School of ArchitectureThe Fall semester's packed slate that has thus far seen speakers from UNC Charlotte, Northeastern University, and the Harvard GSD concludes on November 7 with a lecture from Zackery Belanger, a leading expert in architectural acoustics.Image courtesy of Joseph Choma/FAU School of ArchitectureEvents begin again in the Spring '25 semester with a lecture from TU Delfts Mariana Popescu on January 14. SCI-Arcs Jenny Wu will visit campus on...

Following our previous visit toMichael K. Chen Architecture, we are moving ourMeet Your Next Employer seriesto Los Angeles this week to explore the work ofOFFICEUNTITLED (OU).A practice of architects, designers, and strategists working across Los Angeles and New York, the firm describes its ethos as one that combines ambitious design with deep professional experience to deliver thoughtful yet unexpected design solutions. In recent weeks, the firms work was celebrated at the 2024 LA Architectural Awards by the Los Angeles Business Council while in 2023 the firms Harland residential project was among the winners at the 2023 AIA Los Angeles Residential Architecture Awards.Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm iscurrently hiringfor a Business Development Specialist to join their Culver City team. For candidates interested in applying for a position or anybody interested in learning more about the firms output, we have rounded up four playful, experiential projects by OFFICEUNT...

I find that competitions are stimulating, exciting and keep up the momentum of thinking and exploring. [...] I have often had difficulty convincing my Partners who are much less supportive of the competition process and much more prone to the disappointment of not winning. For me not winning is not taking part. Losing is learning. And Ive learnt a lot.Competitions are an essential part of professional practice and academia, dating to antiquity and counting even the Acropolis in Athens as one of their numerous contributions to at least Western culture and society. Williamson mentions his participation with the Norman Foster Foundation on the newRebuild Kharkivcompetition, saying it was a valuable learning opportunity. The post nonetheless garnered a considerable amount of backlash onlineincluding a comment from popular UK architect Sarah Wigglesworthwho criticized their role in perpetuating a bad architectural culture and usury relationship with clients.

This month, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museums Andrew Carnegie Mansion will be transformed as part of the exhibition Making HomeSmithsonian Design Triennial, which runs through August 10th, 2025.

This fall in London, the Zaha Hadid Foundation is presenting an exhibition of paper reliefs showcasing the design process behind three of its namesakes most important cultural sector designs: the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati (2003), MAXXI Museum in Rome (2009), and unrealized Museum of Islamic Art in Doha (1997).

The opportunity to renovate one of New York Citys most important cultural buildings,Marcel Breuers Brutalist icon at 945 Madison Avenue, has been granted to a partnership that includesHerzog & de MeuronandPBDW Architects afterSothebys named the firm to the project on Monday.H&dM's co-founderJacques Herzog says the project will be carried out with much the same precision as the firms previous renovation of the Park Avenue Armory not far away in their shared Upper East Side neighborhood. Existing spaces will be adapted to meet the current business and exhibition needs, while Breuers "original vision" of the 58-year-old design is recuperated both within and without for both the public and private clients."The Breuer Building is such an amazing architectural icon of postwar modernism which wejust like all architectshave always admired. Since our early work in the 1970s, we have always placed great importance on working with existing buildings, not only from a sustainable...

A Gensler and Thornton Tomasetti-led data center project that highlights the enormous potential for similar environmentally-minded hybrid mass timber designs in the booming typology is on its way toward completion in the suburbs of Northern Virginia.The firm is working with Microsoft to deliver a pair of new centers made using CLT materials. Microsoft says their presence will reduce the buildings overall carbon footprint by 35% compared to conventional steel construction, and another 65% compared to those made from precast concretean important step as such projects gain priority in the new data-driven economy.Video courtesy of MicrosoftMicrosoft has previously committed to becoming fully 'carbon-negative' in its construction footprint by decades end, developing a plan that has since seen setbacks due to the volume and pace of expansion and a subsequently high rate of 'indirect emissions' skyrocketing by 30.9% over just three years.Another innovation meant to combat this i...

OPEN Architectures striking, cone-shaped cultural venue,Sun Tower, has officially opened inYantai,China. Situated along the coast of the Yellow Sea, the structure encompasses an outdoor theater, exhibition spaces, library, caf and bar, and a special semi-outdoor observation deck. Its design was informed by the passage of the sun.Photo: Jonathan LeijonhufvudSun Tower provides a much needed cultural hub for the growing population of Yantai's Yeda Development Zone. Established in 1984, the Zone transformed the area, which consisted mainly of fishing villages, into a district of industry and tourism.Photo: Jonathan LeijonhufvudOPEN Architecture conceived the projects design as a celebration of the areas historical connection to the sun and sea. It is one of the earliest regions in China where ancient sun-worshiping occurred and where Ming Dynasty-era watchtowers were erected. The structures design also features a contemporary take on the typology of lighthouses.Photo: Jonatha...

Unlike traditional swimming pools, which contain chlorine, natural pools rely on plants and rocks for filtration instead. An underwater retaining wall separates the swimming area (where humans and sometimes fish swim) from the regenerative zone, which closely resembles wetlands filled with aquatic plants like water lilies or water lotus. Pumps, and sometimes waterfalls, keep the water moving, and the rocks and skimmers filter sediment and large debris.The alternative pools gained popularity in the UK before the trend was imported here. Costs range from between $50,000 to $200,000 to install and have the added bonus of self-winterization. One drawback might be the intrusion of some unwanted animal guests; however, theTimes says: "Natural pools are considered lower maintenance, too, because owners dont need to add chlorine once a week to the water. Other issues may arise, such as too much algae, but generally, it comes down to the plants, which can be thinned out."

In case you haven't checked outArchinect's Pinterestboards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various ArchinectFirmandPeopleprofiles.Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the boardMinimalism.Tip:Use the handyFOLLOW featureto easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles. House Noir inMalibu, CA byLorcan O'Herlihy Architects [LOHA]; Photo:Paul Vu Warm Nest inKnokke-Heist, Belgium byArk-shelter; Photo:BoysPlayNice Lindower Str. inBerlin, Germany byHeim Balp Architekten; Photo:Francesca Ivene Chapel of Sound inChengde, China byOPEN Architecture; Photo:Jonathan Leijonhufvud Dom inDnipropetrovsk, Ukraine byArchObraz; Photo:Andrey Avdeenko Liminal House in West Vancouver, Canada byMcleod Bovell Modern Houses; Photo:Hufton + Crow Casa Escondida inCabo San Lucas, Mexico byStudiohuerta Casa Mirador - Mirador House inArteaga, Mexico byS-AR; Photo:Ana Cecilia G...