These annual rankings were last updated on November 22, 2024. Want to see your firm on next years list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studios ranking.From the Forbidden City and the narrow streets and hutongs to skyscrapers, Beijing has become one of the most transformed cities of the 21st century. A site of architectural antiquity for 3000 years, when Beijing officially became the capital city of the Peoples Republic of China in the 1950s, efforts for its architectural modernization were initiated.Still, it wasnt until the 2008 Olympics that the city became a testing ground for many renowned Western architects. Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid and many more, who were drawn to Beijings growing economy and global recognition developing projects such as the Birds Nest Stadium, the Galaxy SOHO and the CCTVs Headquarters. Meanwhile, local studios design urban squares, modern residences and even siheyuan restorations are all part of their portfolios, aiming to transform what was once a city designed for pedestrians and camels to what came to be one of the leading architectural melting pots of the Eastern world.With so many architecture firms to choose from, its challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Beijing based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.How are these architecture firms ranked?The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firms level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firms ranking, in order of priority:The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Project of the Day (2009 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Featured Project (2009 to 2024)The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Beijing architecture firms throughout the year.Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Beijing:30. ARCHISTRY design&research office ARCHISTRY design&research officeARCHISTRY design& research office is a diverse design studio based in Beijing, China. It provides overall services of international planning, architecture, interiors, lighting, landscapes, exhibitions, graphic and product design. The special reason for locating in Qianmen is that Beijing is a city at the forefront of the world with great history, ARCHISTRY design and research office at the center of this multi-element and contradiction can easily invite integrating local culture, city and historical background as pioneering design inspirations. Considering our recent construction-related issues, approaching beyond the delimitation of traditional design, we are trying to challenge and interpret the traditional boundaries of architecture in other complementary ways.ARCHISTRY design& research office always focus on the main business of architectural space design integration since its establishment, and has maintained good cooperative relations with many cultures, art teams and institutions.Some of ARCHISTRY design&research offices most prominent projects include:QUAD HOUSE, Beijing, ChinaCOLUMN HOUSE, ChinaLANE HOUSE, Beijing, China The following statistics helped ARCHISTRY design&research office achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 29. PLAT ASIA PLAT ASIABeing an international team of architects and designers, PLAT ASIA was founded in Beijing in 2010, by Baoyang Bian and Donghyun Jung, who share the oriental cultural background. Based on the constant research and analysis of the bewildering social backdrop nowadays, PLAT ASIA has been endeavouring in optimising the living conditions without sacrificing the future living environment. Moreover, PLAT ASIA not only designs to discover new opportunities and means of land occupation, but to carry forward oriental philosophies of nature, architecture and value as well.Some of PLAT ASIAs most prominent projects include:Dujiangyan Forest Resort Hotel, ChinaLushan West Sea Art Center, Jiujiang, ChinaWeihe River Landscape Pavilion, Shaanxi, ChinaCloud Tea Room, Huzhou, ChinaAranya Forest Dining Club, Qinhuangdao, China The following statistics helped PLAT ASIA achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 11 28. Zscape Z'scapeZ scape was founded by Mr. Zhou Liangjun and Ms. Zhou Ting in Beijing. Cooperating with world-class architectural and planning firms as well as consultant teams, we are devoted to providing high-quality landscape planning and design for cultural tourism developers, real estate developers and the government. Our works include public spaces, cultural projects, boutique hotels,urban renovations, mix-used and residential projects, etc. Our team has international perspective, overseas educational background and working experience, rich experience in management and construction, excellent professional expertise, and unique creativity.Z scape has always kept a moderate size to ensure the involvement of the chief designers and the control of details, which will effectively guarantee the execution and realization of the design ideas. Firmly believing that design is of great value, Z scape is committed to the research and practice in the fields of landscape, art and design.Some of Zscapes most prominent projects include:Alpine Garden and Amphitheater, ChinaJiaxing Train Station Park, ChinaSuzhou Mountain Kingston Bilingual School, ChinaAranya Seaside Whale Swing, China The following statistics helped Z'scape achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 4 27. Vector Architects Vector ArchitectsWe still have faith in the primitive, tranquil, and eternal power embodied within architecture itself. It can travel through time and resist unrest and uncertainty. Architecture needs to address the context and respond to the realistic problems of social, political and environmental parameters. However, after solving all the problems, architecture needs to eventually retain its capacity of going beyond the constraints of reality, to reclaim its raison dtre, that is, to soothe our body and soul. Architecture is a medium to closely connect ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally with the world we live in. In our view, this is the courage as well as the ultimate responsibility that architecture should have.Some of Vector Architectss most prominent projects include:Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel, Guilin, ChinaJingyang Camphor Court, Jingdezhen, ChinaChapel of Music, Qinhuangdao, ChinaSeashore Library, Qinhuangdao, ChinaSeashore Chapel, Qinhuangdao, China The following statistics helped Vector Architects achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 7 26. Zhu Yufan YC Atelier Zhu Yufan YC AtelierZhu Yufan YC Atelier is a Beijing-based design firm since 2002, and we are specialized in landscape planning and design across a wide range of scale. Our projects include urban green space system planning, urban parks/squares design, public building environment design, historic preservations and residential design, etc.YC is named after the Chinese idiom yiyuzhongdi, stating as hit the key-point in one word, mainly emphasizing on one sharp design move. We aim to find out the design essence of balancing the site and its demands under the unique perspective of history and culture. With the continuous focuses on the spirits of site (genius loci), Yiyu Studio uplifts the extension of both site context and cultural context onto elevated site-ethics level, making the project design works present more (but not only) site-specific features.Some of Zhu Yufan YC Ateliers most prominent projects include:Nanchang Wave, Nanchang, ChinaQunming Lake, Beijing, ChinaQuarry Garden in Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China The following statistics helped Zhu Yufan YC Atelier achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 3 25. Daipu Architects Daipu ArchitectsDaipu Architects, founded by Dai Pu, is an innovation-oriented architecture firm. The firm endeavors to review each project with unique perspective, and redefine the relationship between people, space, and nature. Since the establishment of the firm, we have developed a set of working approaches and practicing strategies. From early stage plan to concept development, from skyscraper to tactility of a handle or a step, all these are included in our thinking system. Each of our projects builds on experimentation and research in the interrelated fields of architecture, engineer, science and art. Collaborations with artists, engineers, and other specialists have advanced the diversity of our practice, and the implementation of state-of-the-art technologies has led to the realization of complex architectural structures.Some of Daipu Architectss most prominent projects include:Waterside Langjiu Bar, Luzhou, ChinaTree Art Museum, ChinaAnti-domino No. 02 wood mountain, Chongqing, ChinaKengee Urban Farm, Wuhan, ChinaGallery Delta, Guizhou, China The following statistics helped Daipu Architects achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 8 24. CAA architects CAA architectsCAA Architects is an architecture studio focusing on all aspects of design, from product, interior, architecture and urban planning, with a strong intention on merging architecture and art, whilst redefining how these two disciplines work in the age of digital technology and content. CAA Architects was founded by Liu Haowei in 2006, and has established its main office in Beijing following the concept of Design for Tomorrow. CAA Architects is made up of a culturally diverse group of designers with both extensive local and international experiences, all looking to merge architecture and art into an experiential solution.Some of CAA architectss most prominent projects include:Beijing Collaborative Innovation Park North Yard, Beijing, ChinaWest Mountain Innovation Valley-Beijing Collaborative Innovation Park, Beijing, ChinaCAFA Qingdao CampusIceland Aurora StationWandering in the Clouds Korea Samcheok Yisabu Dokdo Memorial Park, Samcheok-si, South Korea The following statistics helped CAA architects achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 13 23. WAY Studio WAY StudioWAY Studio is an innovative architecture and design studio with a focus on coalescing architecture with art and technology. With consideration for artistic representation at its core, WAY Studio has focused on discovering new possibilities through cross-disciplinary collaborations. We are highly experienced in interdisciplinary work alongside artists, designers, consultants, engineers and more, seeking new possibilities in every situation. We are interested in looking towards what is next, to pioneer a new WAY, and to find the balance between people and nature, culture and technology. WAY Studio currently has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Vancouver.Some of WAY Studios most prominent projects include:Dreaming Someone, Beijing, ChinaCourtyard 35 Hutong Cloudscape, Beijing, ChinaWAY-out-of-the-box, Shanghai, ChinaTales from the Loop- Living Amongst Ancient Trees, Huizhou, ChinaLianyi moody MOONCAKE pavilion, Shanghai, China The following statistics helped WAY Studio achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 38 22. Cun Design Cun DesignWe mainly compose the interior design for front business space and back office space, front business space including: the core business flagship stores, display and sales space and other business environment design; the back office space including like: R & D base, office headquarters, corporate chambers and other overall working environmental design.Some of Cun Designs most prominent projects include:Office design for Blue Moon Films: A Line between Time, Beijing, ChinaGreen Leopard Lightings flagship store, Zhongshan, ChinaSpace Design of Elephant-Parade Office-the worlds leading marketing agency, Beijing, ChinaEncounter a beam of light in design- Portugal SERIP Lighting Exhibition Hall, Beijing, ChinaFrom Nature: Creative Interior Design of Rosemoo Office in Beijing, Beijing, China The following statistics helped Cun Design achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 6 21. Beijing AN-Design Architects Beijing AN-Design ArchitectsBeijing AN-Design Architects is a firm based in Beijing. Its work is centered around landscape architecture.Some of Beijing AN-Design Architectss most prominent projects include:Taoxichuan Ceramic Culture Industrial Park, Jingdezhen, ChinaCourtyards Renovation of the Moshikou Neighborhood, Beijing, ChinaChongqing Shibati Traditional Style Area, Chongqing, ChinaChina Fuzhou Arsenal (Chuanzheng) Culture Mawei Shipyard Area, Fuzhou, China The following statistics helped Beijing AN-Design Architects achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 4 20. MARS Studio MARS StudioMARS Studio was founded in New York, USA, and opened its Beijing office. It is an international architecture studio full of vitality and energy oriented towards architecture and interior design.The founding partner of the firm, Ma Ning, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked in MAD Architects in Beijing and Bjarke Ingels Group (B.I.G) in New York. His past design projects include S.Pellegrino Flagship Factory in Italy, Harbin Opera House, Xiamen Xin he Headquarter, Manhattan 45 Broad St Skyscraper, Sanya Phoenix Island Villas, Taipei Bade Road Residential Towers, Brooklyn 205M Twin Towers, Ecuador super high-rise residence and so on. In short years since opening MARS-Studio has won numerous international awards and has gained widespread media coverage.Some of MARS Studios most prominent projects include:SOMESOME Bar & Restaurant, Beijing, ChinaTianfu Conference Center, Chengdu, ChinaTarentum Bar & Restaurant, Shenzhen, ChinaNoodlology Restaurant, Beijing, ChinaThe Summer Palace Restaurant, Beijing, China The following statistics helped MARS Studio achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 4 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 14 19. Golucci Interior Architects Golucci Interior ArchitectsGolucci Interior Architects brings spaces to life for some of the worlds most iconic F&B brands. Tactile, layered, and immersive interiors have established our reputation for masterful storytelling through design, and have made our hospitality and restaurant projects award-winning and time -tested.Golucci Interior Architects is the Taiwanese designer LEE Hsuhengs 20 years of experience imagining and realizing extraordinary interiors. Fueled by a singular vision to create unforgettable design experiences, we have cultivated award-winning projects based on partnerships with the worlds preeminent hotel and restaurant groups, hospitality Companies, and top chefs. With an ever-expanding scope of work which now includes hospitality programming, architecture design, furniture, Fixtures & Equipment design, Golucci Interior Architects is simultaneous defining a new era of creative interiors while keeping a spirit grounded by the unending desire to tell authentic design stories.Some of Golucci Interior Architectss most prominent projects include:Yijian Cafe, Shanghai, ChinaSi-Pu Nabe, Shanghai, ChinaThe Goose Hut Bistro APM , Beijing, ChinaDianDianYiPin ChaChaanTeng, Beijing, ChinaVitaland kid restaurant, Beijing, China The following statistics helped Golucci Interior Architects achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 35 18. META-Project META-ProjectMETA-Project is a contemporary practice operating in the fields of architecture, urbanism research, interior design and curation. META-Project is interested in what defines the contemporary way of life in the context of increasingly uncontrolled urban conditions, with specific focus on the emergent socio/cultural phenomenon in Asian cities generated by an unprecedented urban transition. At the same time, as a culture platform that spans between architecture and urbanism research, META-Project is actively engaged in worldwide cross-disciplinary collaboration that involve multiple dimensions of the contemporary medium: publication, video, art, network, exhibition and to develop design strategies for promoting the culture of contemporary city.Some of META-Projects most prominent projects include:Stage of Forest, Jilin, ChinaHeyTown Art Center, Beijing, ChinaNew Youth Commune, ChinaWater Tower Pavilion, Shenyang, ChinaCourtyard by the West Sea, China The following statistics helped META-Project achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 5 17. DAGA Architects DAGA ArchitectsAs a pioneer and practitioner in the field of urban renovation in China, DAGA Architects is widely participated in architectural design, interior design, urban planning and landscape design projects, providing international standard design quality, focusing on creativity and details. DAGA Architects also track the whole process of the project. Especially in the practice of co-working and co-living renovation in Beijing hutong area, DAGA Architects find a way to balance the existing building and new design ,provide people with a more harmonious and shared lifestyle.Some of DAGA Architectss most prominent projects include:Dongsi 5Lmeet, Beijing, ChinaHangzhou Vanke Times Commune, Hangzhou, ChinaTransparent Hutong Installation: From Physics to Phenomena , Beijing, ChinaGulou Office Renovation, Beijing, ChinaQingdao Metro CR International Ocean Intelligence Zone Accelerator Office, Qingdao, China The following statistics helped DAGA Architects achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 21 16. Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM)Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) is an award-winning art, landscape, and architectural design firm with offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Founded in 2007, BAM became anomalous as a locally grown design firm in China started by foreigners. The experience of establishing a design practice in a rapidly changing contemporary Chinese metropolis gives BAM a unique insight into the role of design in todays cities. BAMs diverse team of designers has delivered projects for clients in China, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Iceland, and Belgium.Since our founding BAM believes our collective idea of nature is gradually changing. As technology continuously shapes our environment, our perception of nature is becoming outdated.Some of Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM)s most prominent projects include:Daxing Green Hub and Park, Daxing District, Beijing, ChinaMAHA Residential Park, Beijing, ChinaPlay n Learn Water Mountain, Tianjin 4A Sports Park, Tianjin, ChinaLegend Jiangbei Mixed-Use and Residential, Nanjing, ChinaLongking Pro-Environmental Campus, Longyan, China The following statistics helped Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 23 15. Trace Architecture Office Trace Architecture OfficeTAO (TRACE ARCHITECTURE OFFICE) was founded by Li Hua in 2009 in Beijing.It is a design studio committed to architecture, urban, landscape and furniture design. Trace is surviving mark of things, and evidence of time fragments accumulation. The production of architecture is a process with confrontation of various will powers and values, full of contradiction and complexity. Architecture itself is a record of its time and nature. Looking at trace and process suggests our approach to architecture. TAO is concerned with the social, cultural and ecological significance in making process of architecture from design to construction; While architecture always face the conflict between past, present and future, between regional and global, between individual and collective, TAO rejects a simple and brutal attitude and explores how to achieve a subtle balance.Some of Trace Architecture Offices most prominent projects include:Museum of Handcraft Paper, Yunnan, ChinaXinzhai Coffeee Manor, Baoshan, ChinaSwan Lake Bridge House and Viewing Tower, Shandong, ChinaHuandao Middle School, Haikou, Haikou, ChinaXiadi Paddy Field Bookstore of Librairie Avant-Garde, Fujian, China The following statistics helped Trace Architecture Office achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 12 14. DL Atelier DL AtelierBeijing-based DL Atelier was found in 2012 by Liu Yang and Xu Dan. Our designs are all about feelings and memories. People relaxing under the shadow of trees with bucket loads of sunshine is the ideal scene for us, which leads us follow the flow of inspiration on our work.Some of DL Ateliers most prominent projects include:Yi She Mountain Inn, Beijing, ChinaEyes Closed, ChinaMoon Stage, ChinaUP Co-working Factory, ChinaLYCEUM School, Guangxi, China The following statistics helped DL Atelier achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 20 13. OPEN Architecture Jonathan Leijonhufvud Architectural PhotographyOPEN is a passionate team of designers collaborating across different disciplines to practice urban design, landscape design, architectural design, and interior design, as well as the research and production of design strategies in the context of new challenges. We believe in the innovative power of architecture to transform people and the way they live, while striking a new balance between the manmade and nature.OPEN was founded by LI Hu and HUANG Wenjing in New York City. It established its Beijing office in 2008. Some built and ongoing projects by OPEN include: the Gehua Youth and Cultural Center, Garden School/Beijing No.4 High School Fangshan Campus, Tsinghua Ocean Center, Pingshan Performing Arts Center, Tank Shanghai, UCCA Dune Art Museum, Chapel of Sound, and Qingpu Pinghe International School. OPEN has been widely recognized for its innovative work.Some of OPEN Architectures most prominent projects include:Garden School, Beijing, ChinaHEX-SYS, Guangdong, ChinaStepped Courtyards, Changle, ChinaTank Shanghai, Shanghai, ChinaUCCA Dune Art Museum, Qinhuangdao, China The following statistics helped OPEN Architecture achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 11 12. aoe aoeaoe is headquartered in Beijing, China, equipped with a team of designers who balance scientic exactitude and creative innovation, Made up of an international background, the team provides solutions to modern urban life based on scrupulous in-depth research, its business includes commercial, complex, cultural, oce, hotel, high-end housing, education, planning, and interior design, project covers more than 20 provinces and cities in China, and each design project has won the praise of the owners and produced a good social impact. Its insightful, market-ready designs are a testament to its all-around excellent service. In an era of rapid development, aoe is a vehicle of progress with its vision for human life in the twenty-rst century city.Some of aoes most prominent projects include:Chongqing Sunac One Central Mansion Sales Pavillion, Chongqing, ChinaShuiFa Info Town Property Exhibition Centre, Jinan, ChinaSino-Italian Cultural Exchange City Reception Center, Chengdu, ChinaHaikou International Duty Free Reception Center, Haikou, ChinaDeep Sea Museum And Sports Center in Sanya The following statistics helped aoe achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 14 11. He Wei Studio3andwich Design Jin WeiqiHe Wei, PhD, is a practicing architect and a professor at the School of Architecture, China Central Academy of Fine Arts. He Wei is also Vice Chairman of the Rural Architecture Committee, The Architectural Society of China and Vice Director, Environmental Art Illuminating Committee, Beijing Illuminating Engineering Society, in addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief of the German Professional Lighting Design Magazine, Chinese edition and sitting on the Editorial Committee of Community Magazine.Some of He Wei Studio3andwich Designs most prominent projects include:Limestone Gallery, Anlong, Qianxinan, ChinaStone Nest Amphitheatre for Community Activities , Weihai, ChinaShangping Village Regeneration Yangs School Area, Jianning, ChinaThe Water Drop Library, Huizhou, ChinaDing Hui Yuan Zen & Tea Chamber, Beijing, China The following statistics helped He Wei Studio3andwich Design achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 10 10. BUZZ / Bro Ziyu Zhuang BUZZ / Bro Ziyu ZhuangFounded by Ziyu Zhuang in 2016, BUZZ (Bro Ziyu Zhuang) Architects is led by Ziyu Zhuang, Na Li, Zhengdong Qi, Fabian Wieser and Ye Yang. BUZZ has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Berlin. The office is committed to take the contemporary art thinking and oriental narration as interventions to develop idealogical and technological advanced designs. Through the critical thinking, BUZZ endeavors to take the design works (architectures, interiors, installations, landscape/ urban envirnoments) as the experiences containers to reflect the the contemporary thinking of spacial demand about the present of todays public.BUZZs projects encompass urban designs, urban complexes, municipal buildings, museums, hotels, resorts, theaters, stadium and housing, as well as interior design and arts.Some of BUZZ / Bro Ziyu Zhuangs most prominent projects include:The Chamber Church, Qingdao, ChinaLongquan Mountain Observatory, Chengdu, ChinaZhangjiagang Church, Zhangjiagang, ChinaEuropean School Campus No. II , LuxembourgTongling Recluse, Tongling, China The following statistics helped BUZZ / Bro Ziyu Zhuang achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 7 9. CPLUS CPLUSCPLUS is an architecture firm with an international perspective, co-founded by Cheng Yanchun and Li Nan in Beijing in 2014. The firm believes that architecture aims to create a medium for dialogue between people and the environment. As living organism that constantly changes over time, architecture responds to the history of human exploration of nature and the construction of cities.Some of CPLUSs most prominent projects include:Jingyuan No.22 Transformation, Beijing, ChinaNashare Hotel, Xiamen, ChinaLAB Art Museum, Chongqing, ChinaFloating Island Restaurant, Chongqing, ChinaHair Focus Hair Salon, Beijing, China The following statistics helped CPLUS achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 20 8. MAT Office MAT OfficeFounded by TANG Kangshuo and ZHANG Miao in 2013, MAT Office is a research and design architectural office started in Rotterdam and practices in Beijing since 2015. The office works typologically, pays close attention on unit and edge, publicity and openness, creates public space by the discussion on the relationship of individual and collectivity. It is also an office committed to the observation and speculation of emerging new phenomena and problems in Chinese cities.Some of MAT Offices most prominent projects include:Beijing Muee Restaurant, Beijing, ChinaSuzhou Design Week Pavilion, Suzhou, ChinaYantai Chunhui Road Youth Apartment, Yantai, ChinaBonfire, Shenzhen, ChinaBeijing Tongdeng Beaver Workshop, Beijing, China The following statistics helped MAT Office achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 20 7. CLOU architects CLOU architectsFounded by Jan Clostermann, CLOU is a cosmopolitan team of architects and designers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Lisbon, with one central mission: to design the best social spaces in the world.Our work focuses on the most vibrant places in todays world: retail and leisure destinations, large mixed-use complexes, and community hubs. We define ourselves as creators of social spaces: we design projects that place the human being at centre stage, creating new environments for social encounters and authentic collective identities. We deliver lively public spaces which are intimately connected to the people who use them and transform the urban fabric in which they are built.Some of CLOU architectss most prominent projects include:Cube Gallery, Hangzhou, ChinaPlay Stack Shenyang, Shenyang, ChinaUniFuns Tianfu Chengdu, Chengdu, ChinaWuyi Yuansu Hot Spring Resort, Wuyi, ChinaShoukai Vanke Daxing, Beijing, China The following statistics helped CLOU architects achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 6 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 52 6. Crossboundaries CrossboundariesCrossboundaries contributes to a vital built environment through architecture, environmental design and urban regeneration. We create enduring architecture that often deals with remarkable technical processes, yet always has a pleasant material touch and human atmosphere.The work of Crossboundaries originates from a strong belief that design as a process results in successful, operational buildings. This approach is based on two fundamental principles: research and collaboration. For our projects we create suitable multi-disciplinary teams where all participants can assess the opportunities within the given conditions. We identify the essential questions, jointly create pragmatic solutions by data collection and analyze significant precedents. We regularly discuss possible programmatic shifts with our clients to raise their benefits of the project.Some of Crossboundariess most prominent projects include:Songzhuang Micro Community Park, Beijing, ChinaQkids English Learning Center, Xiamen, ChinaChaoyang Future School, Beijing, ChinaCrossboundaries Office, Beijing, ChinaTHE KNOWN, an installation, Shenzhen, China The following statistics helped Crossboundaries achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 5 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 21 5. Atelier Alter Architects Atelier Alter ArchitectsFounded in 2009, Atelier Alter Architects is a pioneering inter-disciplinary practice based in New York and Beijing. Noted for designing from critical analysis of the site, Atelier Alter has been recognized by numerous awards.Atelier Alter Architects focuses intensely upon culture facilities ever since the beginning of the practice. Atelier Alter wan the competitions to build Qujing Culture Center in 2009, by transferring the metaphysical context of the site into an artistic yet tangible urban space of historic remembrance.Some of Atelier Alter Architectss most prominent projects include:BIT Sports Center in Beijing, Beijing, ChinaWuliEpoch Culture Center, Beijing, ChinaSenior Center of Guangxi, Nanning, ChinaLibrary for Qujing Culture Center, Qujing, ChinaWuliEpoch Culture Center, Beijing, China The following statistics helped Atelier Alter Architects achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 21 4. LUO studio LUO studioMr. Luo Yujie is the founder of LUO studio, who also teaches the course of Construction Basics in the School of Architecture at Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). His exceptional works have been shortlisted and awarded by numerous design award competitions worldwide. He is committed to creating more durable, friendly and quality spaces with creative thinking, a spirit of craftsmanship and the principle of caring for nature.Some of LUO studios most prominent projects include:Temporary Site of Shengli Market Creation of Spatial Order , Henan, ChinaYuntai Ice Chrysanthemum Display, Henan, ChinaPrepared Rehmannia Root Crafts Exhibition Hall, Xiuwu County, ChinaTimber Bridge in Gulou Waterfront, Jiangmen, ChinaJiulongfeng Children Learning Center for Conservation, Huangshan City, China The following statistics helped LUO studio achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 9 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 11 Total Projects 14 3. SUP Atelier of THAD SUP Atelier of THADSUP atelier, founded by Prof. Song Yehao from Tsinghua University School of Architecture in Beijing around 2011, dedicated to the research and practice on sustainable urban and architectural design. SUP Atelier explores the simultaneous sustainability of natural resources and human community through high context sensibility, modest architectural strategies and tectonic research on natural and local materials, in relevant to integrate buildings to the environment and community livings.SUP Atelier focuses on sustainable theory within the scope of architecture, urban studies and building technology, while highly promoting the combination of modern design and vernacular architecture in China. Regional and local understandings are rather important, to further initiate innovative design based on the understanding, and thus the design strategy is always incorporating the latest technical measures or traditional climate adaptation design strategies at that time.Some of SUP Atelier of THADs most prominent projects include:Yunzhai Community Center, Changyuan, ChinaTea Leaf Market of Zhuguanlong, Shouning County, ChinaSwirling Cloud: Pavilion for BJFU Garden Festival, Beijing, ChinaVillage Lounge of Shangcun, Jixi, ChinaHuizhong Starry Center, Jinan, China The following statistics helped SUP Atelier of THAD achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 10 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 11 Total Projects 17 2. ARCHSTUDIO ARCHSTUDIOArch Studio devotes to using multi-perspective and rational means to intervene the development of contemporary urban living environment, finding a right balance between the connections of reality and nature, history and culture, creating a spatial environment that is full of the spirit of times and humanistic quality. In this complex and multivariate era, new creation is not from a sudden inspiration, but stems from careful study of the unique needs and restrictions of each project.Some of ARCHSTUDIOs most prominent projects include:Qishe Courtyard, ChinaWaterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, ChinaTea House in Hutong, Beijing, ChinaDingshi Logistics Office Building, Hebei, ChinaOrganic Farm, Hebei, ChinaTop image: Twisting Courtyard, Beijing, China The following statistics helped ARCHSTUDIO achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 21 Total Projects 25 1. MAD Architects MAD ArchitectsMAD works in forward-looking environments developing futuristic architecture based on a contemporary interpretation of the eastern spirit of nature. All of MADs projects from residential complexes or offices to cultural centers desire to protect a sense of community and orientation toward nature, offering people the freedom to develop their own experience. Founded in 2004 by Ma Yansong, the office first earned worldwide attention in 2006 by winning an international competition to design a residential tower near Toronto. Since then, MAD has been commissioned by clients of all backgrounds, leading to an intriguing combination of diverse project designs.Some of MAD Architectss most prominent projects include:The Cloudscape of Haikou, Haikou, ChinaHarbin Opera House, Harbin, ChinaChaoyang Park Plaza, Beijing, ChinaCourtyard Kindergarten, Beijing, ChinaGardenhouse, Beverly Hills, California The following statistics helped MAD Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Beijing: A+Awards Winner 13 A+Awards Finalist 8 Featured Projects 21 Total Projects 30 Why Should I Trust Architizers Ranking?With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the worlds largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the worlds best architecture each year.Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlightedA Guide to Project AwardsThe blue + badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizers Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a projects likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:Project completed within the last 3 yearsA well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphsArchitectural designwith a high level of both functional and aesthetic valueHigh quality, in focus photographsAt least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the buildingInclusion of architectural drawings and renderingsInclusion of construction photographsThere are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizers Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.Were constantly look for the worlds best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please dont hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Beijing appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.Imagine a table covered in large sheets of tracing and drafting paper. Pencils, markers and a set of rulers, of all shapes and sizes, are scattered along its surface. Vast amounts of masking tape hold in place overlapping drawings and images. An architects desk lamp illuminates the work surface, shedding light to the rubber crumbs, pencil shavings and smudges unavoidable traces of hand drawing that reveal a different type of (architectural) practice, a practice of making.Located in Barcelonas historic center, the Flores & Prats Architects is not exactly a typical architectural workspace. It lacks the cleanness often found in contemporary firms, where open-plan spaces are inhabited with large tables, used for arranging iMacs in an orderly manner in addition to housing the occasional desk plant. Instead, this particular studio is split into a series of (domestic) rooms, where models are stuck on the walls and ceilings, drawings spill out of cupboards, and tables on wheels are always in a state of wonderfully curated mess. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Flores & Prats (@floresyprats)Flores & Prats was founded in 1998 by Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores and combines design and constructive practice with academic activity. The studio looks at research as a driving tool for architecture, producing countless projects open to public interpretation and critical thinking. The practice is internationally recognized; it has been awarded countless prizes throughout the years and its work has been exhibited in monographic and collective exhibitions, while their first monograph book Thought by Hand. The Architecture of Flores & Prats offers insights into their unique method of working.Describing the Flores & Prats studio feels quite romantic in todays context. It is reminiscent of an era where the architect was viewed less like a producer and more as a sceptic, with hand drawing being a tool for inquiry as well as communication. As a result, when considering the lack of technology in the studios process, my question is: How do they do it? How are they able to not only survive in such a fast paced world but actually thrive in it without taking advantage of technologys benefits? View this post on InstagramA post shared by Flores & Prats (@floresyprats)Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores are huge advocates of hand drawing and by extent model making. According to them, analogue practices are inherently slow, allowing room for imagination and uncertainty, crucial ingredients for making responsive architecture. By abandoning the immediate precision required when using todays software, the hand is free to explore and flow through a range of ideas, rather than focus on resolving a single one. It becomes a way of thinking.Still, the studios drawings are quite unique, deviating from the rules of technical drawing, and merging scales, mediums, views and most importantly intent in a single page. Heavily influenced by their time with Enric Miralles, both Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores incorporate multiple aspects of a project in a single drawing. Through a single blueprint (as they call it) they are able to observe and record a space through time, superimposing different surveys, which especially in their older projects such as Sala Beckett and the Casal Balaguer directly inform the design. Additionally, in their later work, collaborative projects such as Edificio 111, required a different type of superimposition, where the blueprint acted as a container and testing of ideas, incorporating diverse opinions and expertise, fitting every contribution onto the page. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Flores & Prats (@floresyprats)Flores & Prats recent exhibition as part of La Biennale di Venezia 2023, titled Emotional Heritage and curated by Lesley Lokko, opens up discussions around unfinished drawings, models and films. The exhibition material was arranged on four tables: The open condition of the ruin; The right to inherit; Drawing with time; and The value of use, which look into memories, civil and moral values and stories that reside within abandoned buildings and reveal the invisible social relationships that operate within them. Once again, hand drawing is crucial in this process, recording the buildings temporal dimensions, the spatiality of ruins, the accumulation of cultural elements (doorframes, windows, tiles, scrapes of plaster) and, finally, the pressures of ownership. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Flores & Prats (@floresyprats)I am aware that I have barely scratched the surface on the studios methods and processes. However, one thing is abundantly clear: it all starts with a table. For Flores & Prats, the table becomes a surface for interaction, collaboration and inquiry, where drawings that describe so much more than the form and the construction of a building can occur. A place, where time slows down and projects develop beyond the given timelines and demands of the assignment. Even though it is not easy to ignore the pressures and demands of the contemporary architectural field, the Flores & Prats studio has proven the benefits of testing out more and producing less for the built environment, taking the time to truly explore the makings of inhabited space.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.Featured Image: ARCH.architecture, FLORESPRATS-SALABECKETT-62408-PH 04 Old and new window connecting the Bar with the Vestibule photoAdriGoula, CC BY-SA 4.0The post The Rigor of Making: Inside the Barcelona Studio of Flores & Prats Architects appeared first on Journal.

Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.Since its launch in 2016, PMT Partners has swiftly become a standout in architecture and interior design. This year, the firm claimed the A+Awards Popular Choice honor for Best Young Firm, cementing its reputation as a leader among emerging practices. Founded by lead architects Yan Hu, Weihao Zhao and Zhe Zeng, PMT Partners collaborates with clients across China and beyond, crafting spaces that reflect both contemporary needs and future aspirations. Their work is a response to the unpredictable nature of todays world.In particular, the studios interior projects are redefining the boundaries of spatial design. PMT Partners creates interiors that are not only visually striking but also provoke new ways of experiencing space. Through unexpected material choices, unconventional layouts and a fascinating interplay of light and shadow, their interiors break free from traditional design norms. Whether working in retail environments or cultural spaces, the firm prioritizes spatial fluidity and sensory engagement. In turn, their work results in transformative interiors that feel both intimate and dynamic. PMT Partners demonstrates that interiors can be radical without sacrificing functionality, shaping the future of interior design with projects that invite users to reimagine the spaces they inhabit. As they continue to push boundaries, they offer a vision for the future, one where design is grounded in timeless principles but open to new possibilities.JIAMILA Islamic Fashion Flagship StoreYiwu, Jinhua, ChinaThe JIAMILA Islamic Fashion Flagship Store in Yiwu City blends local culture with Islamic design, creating a unique shopping experience for both residents and visitors. This three-story boutique features a stunning atrium with a pendentive structure inspired by Byzantine architecture, which serves as a focal point and attracts customers to the upper levels. The interior design incorporates concentric circles, winding corridors, and strategic lighting to enhance the sense of space while providing a ceremonial ambiance. With a layout that encourages exploration, the store showcases Muslim fashion through dynamic displays and distinct exhibition areas, offering a blend of modernity and tradition in a vibrant urban setting.GEMART Smart Home ShowroomGuangzhou, ChinaThe Dwelling Intelligent System Experience Showroom by PMT Partners for GEMART showcases cutting-edge whole-house smart technology, including intelligent lighting, curtains,and home theater systems. Encased in floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the showroom acts as a transparent display, allowing both visitors and passersby to observe dynamic changes inside. The two-story interior features cave-like display walls on the first floor and an immersive home theater on the second, where smart systems synchronize lighting, sound and curtains with a single command. The design creates an interactive space that blurs the line between product demonstration and living experience, offering a glimpse into the future of connected, intuitive homes.Shenzhen Flagship Store of TFDShenzhen, ChinaThe Manufactured Nature store blends fashion with an immersive ecosystem, imitating forests, valleys, and plant life across seasons. Inside the 5,380-square-foot (500 square meter) space, installations resemble natural forms like trees, streams and mountains, with island displays and bark-inspired treehouses serving as mini-stores for independent designers. The interior design combines hyperbolic aluminum plates, metal frames and natural materials like wood and reed to create a seamless balance between the artificial and natural. This thoughtful design symbolizes growth, creativity and sustainability, encouraging visitors to explore fashion in a setting that mirrors the cycles of nature.Stand VIRG CASA 2019Guangzhou, ChinaFor VIRG CASAs stand at the 2019 China (Guangzhou) International Building Decoration Fair, PMT Partners designed two interconnected exhibition halls, one triangular and one square, to blur the line between abstract ideals and practical living. The triangular halls symmetrical interior, with mirrored ceilings and sloping walls, evokes a sense of ritual and dreamlike space, while deep red tiles metaphorically represent a home that is cold on the surface but warm inside. Furniture and tiles are integrated into both halls as functional elements, art objects, and immersive design statements. Together, the spaces invite visitors to explore layered scenes and reflect on the intersection of aspiration and reality.ZIPLAB Off-line Store, China by PMT PartnersGuangzhou, ChinaZIPLAB, part of Onion Globals business ecosystem, bridges online and offline retail through immersive, spectacle-driven interiors that blend commerce with experience. Stores like the Beijing Road location in Guangzhou explore the relationship between people, products and space, using interactive elements such as the Archive Hall, Charging Tower and Data Vault to guide visitors through symbolic consumer journeys. Designed as dynamic environments, these interiors foster exploration, using mirrored walls, compressed pathways and fragmented installations to create a futuristic, multi-sensory experience. The concept of compression and decompression is central to ZIPLABs philosophy, merging the physical and digital worlds to generate continuous consumer engagement.SHEERIN Pavilion for 2023 Guangzhou Design WeekGuangzhou, ChinaThe SHEERIN Pavilion at the 2023 Guangzhou Design Week reimagines exhibition spaces with sustainability at its core. Designed to showcase sintered stones, the pavilion mimics the experience of wandering through an artificial canyon, blending bold design with environmental responsibility. The space invites visitors to explore three interconnected volumes representing sound, light, and water, creating immersive environments through carefully crafted interiors. Inside, features like the Sound Horn speaker and the Cut Light Cone use innovative forms and materials to evoke sensory engagement, transforming the interior into a dynamic landscape of discovery.Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.The post Intrepid Interiors: 6 Reasons Why Emerging Firm PMT Partners Should Be on Your Design Radar appeared first on Journal.

Architizers A+Awards are back, and with the Main Entry Deadline on December 6th, now is your chance to showcase your work to some of the most forward-thinking minds in architecture and design. Our jury of over 250 experts spans architecture, technology, material science and beyond, reflecting the diversity and innovation celebrated by the expansive A+Awards categories. This year, were thrilled to welcome four influential leaders whose work in material innovation and research is reshaping whats possible in the built environment.Enter the 13th Annual A+AwardsThese new jury members are breaking ground in sustainable structural design, cutting-edge construction technology and research, faade innovation, and traditional material craftsmanship. From creating circular construction systems to reimagining prefabrication and exploring the artistry of local materials, their expertise drives architecture toward a more sustainable and creative future. Each brings a distinct vision that pushes the boundaries of material use, inspiring architects worldwide to rethink and elevate their work.Discover how these material pioneers are leading architecture into its next chapter.Philippe BlockProfessor, Co-director Block Research Group, Institute of Technology in Architecture, ETH ZurichPhilippe Block is Full Professor of Architecture and Structures and head of the Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA) at ETH Zurich, where he co-leads the Block Research Group (BRG) with Dr. Tom Van Mele, and director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) on Digital Fabrication. He studied architecture and structural engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium and at MIT in the US, where he earned his PhD in 2009.The BRG develops sustainable and circular construction solutions through the advancement of computational structural design and innovation in digital fabrication and construction. Philippe and Tom translate their research into practice, with the consultancy Foreign Engineering and the ETH spin-off VAULTED. Most significant is the development of the Rippmann Floor System (RFS), a low-carbon-footprint, fully circular prefabricated concrete floor solution.Belinda CarrConTech Communicator and CEO, Carr BuildsWith a background in architecture, interior design, BIM management, building science and construction, Belinda Carr has a unique take on construction technology and innovation. Identifying a gap in the dissemination unbiased educational info in the construction tech landscape, Belinda channeled her knowledge and passion into launching a YouTube channel, social media outlets and a podcast.This platform serves as a source of truth for industry professionals and enthusiasts alike, providing the critical insights and information that were previously lacking. Belindas commitment to advancing the industrys knowledge base is paralleled by her role at DPR Constructions prefabrication team. With a vision that aligns with the innovative ethos of DPR, Belinda is helping to steer the construction industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future.Troy DonovanPrincipal Faade Designer, Prism FacadesTroy is a principal at Prism Faades, a design and engineering consultancy in Sydney, Australia. As a faade designer, he has developed specialist skills in the design of components and custom fabrication, which he applies to the development of new faades. He has a broad range of industry experience, and has worked in Australia, New Zealand, New York.Troy is also an accomplished illustrator and is active in the architectural community as a mentor, blogger and speaker. His enthusiasm and willingness to share has encouraged a sketching and model making culture amongst the architects and students he works with.Nguyen HaPrincipal Designer, ARB ArchitectsNguyen Ha is the co-founder of arb architects Vietnam, based in Hanoi. She set up a practice office in Vietnam with two Swiss architects Kurt Aellen and Laurent Cantalou right after she returned from Switzerland, where she completed the MAS programme at the Department of Architecture at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ). Creating the sense of serenity that architecture can provide to everyday life in every setting is the focus of architect Nguyen Has work.At the same time, she always wants to search and experiment with new materials in architecture, which is why she also works as an artisan to find new forms of expression in materials. Ha collaborates with craftsmen and multi-disciplinary artists to develop projects that explore traditional materials and produces a number of contemporary installations of ceramics, lighting, and traditional toys.With a diverse jury of global experts and a global voting public, Architizer's A+Awards champions firms around the world. Get your work in front of the industry's best by starting your submission today.The post Crafting the Future: A+Awards Jury Welcomes 4 Architectural Material Experts appeared first on Journal.

The latest edition of Architizer: The Worlds Best Architecture a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe is now available. Order your copy today.The Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges once quipped that paradise will be a kind of library. Albert Einstein believed the only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library. Meanwhile, Norwegian scribe Jon Bing perhaps put it best when he said: To ask why we need libraries at all when there is so much information available elsewhere, is about as sensible as asking if roadmaps are necessary now that there are so very many roads.Sites of learning and education, social assets that can be weaponized for and against forces of oppression, libraries have played a fundamental and transformative role in human history since Assyrian king Ashurbanipal completed what is believed to be the worlds first, between 668 and 631BC. Far more than collections of books, these buildings are community focal points and in many cases national and international treasures in their own right. As Architizer prepares to deliver its own contribution to the worlds bookshelves, the latest edition of Architizer: The Worlds Best Architecture, weve cast an eye across the globe to compile this collection of the planets most unique and spectacular libraries and grand bookstores. From intimate rural developments to landmarks in major cities, by their very nature each of these projects is made to inspire and teach, encourage and facilitate. More so, they represent one of the last remaining places where people are actively invited to gather and while away the hours without spending a penny. In a world mad for profit, that alone is something to be cherished.Order Book NowXiadi Paddy Field Bookstore of Librairie Avant-GardeBy Trace Architecture Office, Fujian, China Situated in a lush rural location, an abandoned home comprising three rammed earth walls and broken down courtyards has been spectacularly redeveloped into a truly inimitable reading haven complete with its own theatre space. Thoughtful and sympathetic, the new development is physically encased in the old dwelling, bridging the gap between past and present, private and public.Library In The EarthBy Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP, Japan Like something dreamt up by Tolkien, Library In The Earth is not only a beautiful ode to the written word, its a regenerative project that saw a valley once filled with construction debris returned to the biosphere through greening and planting. Biodiverse flora thrives at the surface while fiction and non-fiction sections hide below ground level in a truly breathtaking subterranean environment.Library of BirminghamBy Mecanoo, Birmingham, UK Englands disputed second city isnt always celebrated for its architecture a result of gross misconceptions about a place that was devastated in World War II and hastily rebuilt into a modernist hulk, but still has plenty of classical landmarks worth pouring over. Not to mention more miles of canal than Venice. In contrast to all the heritage, Library of Birmingham is ultra-modern for the most part, reinterpreting timeless British reading room aesthetics for our century.Martin Luther King Jr. LibraryBy Mecanoo, Washington D.C.First opened in 1972, Martin Luther King Jr. Library is the only library designed by 20th Century architectural titan Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Extensively redesigned by Mecanoo, with input from Jack Bowman, who worked on the original, little has changed on the outside but the removal of a ceiling in the upstairs Grand Reading Room and the addition of a new fifth floor, set in its own trapezoid, have had a transformational effect.Montmagny LibraryBy Lemay, Montmagny, Canada Recycling a heritage building in picturesque Montmagny, 60 kilometers from Quebec City, the local library not only complements the areas traditional aesthetics and heritage style, the structure acts as a connection between downtown and a serene wooded park, while also creating a small public realm focal point of a district that also houses the main shopping street, public market, central church and town hall.Xinglong Lake CITIC BookstoreBy MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China Inspired by the shape and idea of a book falling from the sky, the final design for Xilong Lake CITIC Bookstore was picked from 249 competition entrants and has a number of stunning features. Like a glass curtain wall that drops a meter below the waterfront the building sits alongside, creating a stunning interior lighting effect, a tiered reading area doubling up as steps, and meditation corridor fitted with different-sized windows.Chengdu Museum of Contemporary Art, Tianfu Library of Humanity & ArtBy CSWADI, Chengdu, China Connecting two priceless institutions, a new platform for urban public culture has been created in the form of a park and gathering point for residents. The library itself is 32,000 square meters with the centerpiece Book Montain a reading platform integrated into a huge collection wall. The idea is that visitors have a chance to meet books by chance while roaming this impressive space.Tianjin Binhai LibraryBy MVRDV, Tianjin, China As divisive as it is photographed, this expansive cultural centre features a luminous spherical auditorium around which a number of floor-to-ceiling bookcases cascade. Not only a wonderful focal point, this element dictates the entire structure, framing open space, creating stairs, seating rows and internal facades. Home to 1.2 million individual books, remarkably MVRDV completed this build in just three years. Nios ConarteBy Anagrama, Monterrey, MexicoThe only concept in our collection, if Mexicos third biggest city ever realizes this incredible building it could be a game changer. Located in an iconic park with extensive gardens, a convention center, auditorium, cultural venues and theme park, inside the design looks to informalize the idea of a library by embracing the feeling of play and a sense of fantastical surrealism. Something this country is already renowned for.The latest edition of Architizer: The Worlds Best Architecture a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe is now available. Order your copy today.The post Reading Rooms: 10 Spectacular Libraries and Bookstores From Across the World appeared first on Journal.

Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!Architecture has always been a mirror of human ambition. History remembers the towering cathedrals, the lavish palaces, the monuments that push boundaries and define entire eras. These are the buildings that last, the ones we preserve, photograph and celebrate.But for every grand architectural feat, countless other buildings fill our cities; buildings that are not necessarily in the spotlight yet remain essential to our daily lives. These quieter structures dont compete for attention yet they are just as capable of standing out and making an impact. Perhaps this is where true architectural meaning lies: not in how much a building demands attention but in how it enriches the lives of those who use it.Everyday buildings can and should be meaningful. A school that fosters learning and socializing, a hospital that promotes healing and well-being, an office that encourages collaboration all of these are spaces that may not dominate skylines but quietly define our lives. While many architects might not get the chance to design a landmark in the traditional sense, they do hold the responsibility to try and make each space they create meaningful, whether that means creating harmony with a buildings surroundings or ensuring spaces prioritize the well-being of their users.So, without further ado, lets take a look at how some architects approach creating meaningful spaces and the results they bring to life.Human-Centric Design: Creating Spaces That Serve PeopleMayo Clinics Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Building by HDR, Rochester, MinnesotaThe Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania by HDR, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaMeaning in architecture often starts with a focus on people what architects today like to call human-centric design. This might sound like a buzzword, but its actually part of a really fascinating shift happening in the industry, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic redefined so many of our ideas around public and private spaces. Think about it: suddenly, spaces where we lived, worked, learned or even recovered took on this whole new importance. The emphasis shifted toward making these spaces not just functional but nurturing and actually meaningful for the people who use them.So, what is human-centric design, exactly? At its core, its about prioritizing the needs, comfort and overall well-being of the people who use a space. This means more than just checking off boxes for functionality; it means creating environments where people feel genuinely cared for and supported. Its a concept thats grown alongside our evolving understanding of how physical spaces influence mood, productivity and even recovery in healthcare settings.Knowing this, its clear that human-centric design isnt just a trend but a genuine commitment to creating spaces that positively impact peoples lives. For architects, its a powerful way to ensure their work leaves a lasting, meaningful impression on those who experience it.CNL New Builds by HDR, Chalk River, Canada | Popular Choice Winner, Architecture +Wood, 12th Annual A+AwardsAt Future Fest 2024, this philosophy was particularly emphasized by HDR, a global design firm known for its people-focused approach in fields like healthcare, education and research. HDR shared how they see each project as an opportunity to make a tangible difference.One standout example of their human-centric work is the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) campus at Chalk River. This project showcases that architecture can be both technologically forward while remaining deeply human-centric. Set against the natural beauty of Ontarios Ottawa River Valley, the CNL campus respects the environment and cultural history of its location. Using locally sourced mass timber, the campus combines durability with a warm, inviting atmosphere that speaks to the areas lumber and Indigenous heritage.See HDRs Full Future Fest TalkCNL New Builds by HDR, Chalk River, CanadaBeyond sustainability and reducing the buildings carbon footprint, the choice of timber also creates a warmth and connection to the surrounding landscape that concrete and steel just wouldnt achieve. Its a nod to the areas culture and history, making the space feel like it belongs there. So, rather than feeling like a clinical lab, it feels grounded and almost inviting something you dont often associate with a research campus.Inside, the spaces prioritize natural light and open layouts, making them feel uplifting rather than claustrophobic. Communal areas encourage interaction and collaboration, which fosters a real sense of community among researchers and staff. Its a campus that values not only environmental sustainability but also the well-being and daily experience of its users.Embedding Eco-Responsibility for a Lasting ImpactMarina Tower, Ellinikon by Foster + Partners, Athens, GreeceIf creating a lasting impact is what makes architecture meaningful, then architecture must strive to be timeless. This isnt just about appearances its about designing spaces that can endure, adapt and respect the natural world. Meaningful architecture considers the needs of people today and anticipates those of future generations, finding ways to remain relevant without placing unnecessary demands on the planet. Knowing this, its not a surprise that at the heart of this approach lies sustainability.Designing meaningfully is, by necessity, designing responsibly. It includes thoughtfully choosing materials, energy systems and building strategies that allow a structure to function well within its environment. When eco-responsibility is at the forefront, buildings acquire a lasting quality, requiring fewer alterations over time and settling naturally into their surroundings. This shift is gaining traction as architects consider their broader contributions to both communities and ecosystems.Marina Tower, Ellinikon by Foster + Partners, Athens, GreeceIts promising to see leading firms like Foster + Partners adopting this philosophy in their projects. In his Future Fest presentation, Nicola Scaranaro, Partner at Foster + Partners, discussed the firms urban architecture approach, highlighting how they integrate sustainability to create lasting impact. Foster + Partners recent projects, including the Marina Tower in Athens and the MOL Campus in Budapest, are prime examples of how eco-responsibility can anchor meaningful design.Marina Tower is envisioned as Greeces first green high-rise, incorporating features designed to harmonize with Athens climate and coastal environment. Foster + Partners designed the tower with natural airflow, daylight and shading elements that reduce the need for artificial cooling or heating, allowing the structure to stay comfortable while keeping energy demands low. By integrating a unique, climate-responsive faade, the building breathes with the surrounding air and light, a choice that exemplifies how sustainable design can reduce environmental impact over the long term.MOL Headquarters by Foster + Partners, Budapest, HungaryMeanwhile, the MOL Campus in Budapesta corporate headquarters and one of the citys tallest buildingshighlights the firms commitment to eco-responsibility in a bustling urban setting. The building features geothermal energy systems, native vegetation and passive cooling strategies, establishing a workspace that engages with the local environment rather than working against it. Foster + Partners designed the campus to foster energy efficiency and adaptability, ensuring the building will remain functional as climate conditions evolve.See Foster + Partners Full Future Fest TalkDesigning with Cultural Continuity in MindIf architecture is to be meaningful, it must consider the cultural identity of the communities it serves. Cultural continuity in architecture is about preserving and evolving the historical and social narratives that define a place, all while adapting to meet contemporary needs. When architecture respects and builds upon these foundations, it connects people to their heritage, fostering a sense of identity and belonging within the built environment. This approach creates spaces that are not only functional but deeply resonant, bridging the past with the present to enrich daily life.Exeter College Cohen Quad by Alison Brooks Architects, Oxford, United KingdomThis philosophy perfectly reflects the work of Alison Brooks Architects, who draw upon the heritage and essence of each site to create spaces that resonate with both history and community. Alison Brooks, speaking at Future Fest, described her practice as one that carefully respects and enriches civic identity. For Brooks, meaningful design emerges from a deep understanding of place an architecture that brings continuity to modern design by recognizing the unique narratives embedded in each location.A quite vivid example of this approach is the Cohen Quad at Exeter College, Oxford. The project reinterprets the traditional Oxford collegiate quadrangle, a form central to Oxfords identity, by reshaping it to reflect modern academic and social needs. Instead of a conventional closed quadrangle, Brooks introduced an S-shaped layout that transforms the quad into a journey between two landscaped courtyards. This gentle curve honors the historical typology while adding a fresh perspective, creating spaces that invite exploration and interaction. Continuous pathways, cloisters and gardens weave through the design, reflecting Oxfords long-standing ideals of community and academic exchange.Exeter College Cohen Quad by Alison Brooks Architects, Oxford, United KingdomBy integrating historical forms with new functions, Cohen Quad allows students and faculty to engage with the space in ways that echo Oxfords enduring academic traditions while meeting todays educational demands. In this way, Brookss design not only preserves but actively strengthens the spirit of Oxford, making it meaningful for generations to come.See Alison Brooks Full Future Fest TalkFinding Meaning In Every BuildingUltimately, meaningful architecture doesnt just happen on the grand scale of historic landmarks or groundbreaking projects. Its something that can (and should!) be woven into every space, from community centers to classrooms to the very offices where people spend their days. When architects take the time to consider the needs, histories and futures of the people and places they serve, they create buildings that are more than structuresbut rather integral parts of daily life. And in the end, its this dedication to purpose and people that ensures architecture has a lasting, positive impact, no matter the projects size or scale.Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!The post Beyond Landmarks: What Makes Architecture Truly Meaningful? appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.As climate change intensifies, sea levels are rising and storms are becoming more extreme. In turn, communities worldwide face the ever-present threat of flooding. Architects and urban designers are increasingly challenged to address these risks, creating resilient structures and landscapes that not only withstand but thrive. Taking a deeper dive into the architecture designed for flood-prone regions, the following projects are made with ingenuity and ecological sensitivity. From resilient structures to adaptive landscapes, these projects provide a blueprint for how the built environment can harmonize with water rather than succumb to it.Designing for floods matters now more than ever. Flooding has been the most common and costly natural disaster in recent decades, impacting the livelihoods and safety of millions. By embedding flood resilience into architecture, designers help safeguard lives and support economic stability in vulnerable communities. Resilient design not only reduces the physical damage caused by floods but also allows for quicker recovery, minimizes displacement and enhances long-term resilience. Thoughtfully designed structures and infrastructure in flood-prone areas can transform potential disaster zones into sustainable, adaptable spaces for both current and future generations.Battery PlayscapeBy BKSK Architects, New York City, New YorkThe Battery Playscape, a 1.5-acre park at Manhattans southern tip, is designed to withstand and recover from flooding, embodying resilience after Hurricane Sandy. As part of the Battery Conservancys Masterplan, the Playscape connects visitors with nature through accessible play spaces, natural landforms, and visible water management. Its five zonesBluff, Meadow, Riverbed, Marsh, and Dunerepresent diverse Hudson River Valley landscapes, fostering environmental awareness in children. Opened in 2021, the Playscape blends recreation with ecological education, showing how urban parks can harmonize with natural forces and inspire climate resilience.Bundanon Art Museum + BridgeBy Kerstin Thompson Architects, Illaroo, AustraliaJury Winner, Sustainable Cultural/Institutional Building, JuryWinner, Architecture +Environment, 11th Annual A+AwardsBundanons new Art Museum and Bridge for creative learning are designed to withstand fire and flood, reflecting the resilience needed in a climate-challenged landscape. The museums subterranean structure protects precious artwork with thermal stability, while the elevated Bridge allows floodwaters to flow through, maintaining a seamless connection with nature. Gifted by Arthur and Yvonne Boyd, the site promotes art and environmental awareness, offering spaces for creative learning and public engagement within a net-zero energy framework. This thoughtful design preserves Bundanons legacy while fostering ecological resilience.Hunters Point South Waterfront ParkBy SWA/Balsley and WEISS/MANFREDI, Queens, New YorkHunters Point South Waterfront Park reimagines a post-industrial site once flanked by wetlands and transformed by decades of industry. The design integrates flood resilience through a soft approach, including a protective revetment and an engineered causeway that provides access along the river while safeguarding newly established habitats. The project remediates the contaminated landfill into sculpted grasslands, iconic park features and flood-resistant infrastructure, such as precast concrete walls doubling as barriers. The park offers spaces for retreat and recreation, transforming the waterfront into a vibrant, sustainable landscape that reconnects the city with nature.The St. Pete PierBy ROGERS PARTNERS, Saint Petersburg, FloridaPopular Choice Winner, Government & Civic Buildings, 11th Annual A+AwardsThe St. Pete Pier revitalizes the citys waterfront with a dynamic public space designed to enhance accessibility, economic development and resilience. Spanning 26 acres, it offers diverse amenities for various users, including art installations, playgrounds, restaurants and recreational areas. The design incorporates flood-resistant infrastructure and drainage systems to protect against rising sea levels and storm surges, ensuring the pier can recover from 100-year storms and Category 4 hurricanes. With new multimodal connections and a focus on ecological sustainability, the project anchors the citys waterfront revitalization while prioritizing long-term resilience.Merrion Cricket ClubBy TAKA architects, Dublin, IrelandThe new Merrion Cricket Club pavilion, located along the flood-prone River Dodder, is designed for resilience against flooding. Replacing a 1980s structure damaged in the 2010 floods, the building is raised on steps and includes a waterproof concrete base, with flood barriers installed at door openings. The pavilions symmetrical, pyramidal form accommodates a bar, viewing terrace, and an apartment, while brick walls and zinc roofing enhance durability. The elevated floor maintains views of the pitch, providing a welcoming, flood-protected space that blends robust structure with elegant design.Michael Baker BoathouseBy Associated Architects, Worcester, United KingdomAssociated Architects new boathouse for Kings School, part of Worcesters Waterfront Project, replaces a small 1950s structure with a flood-resilient, striking modern design. Built with robust brickwork extending from the historic embankment, the ground floor offers expanded boat storage while withstanding frequent floods. Above, a lightweight upper floor floats over the floodplain, featuring changing rooms, teaching spaces, and a cantilevered glazed prow with panoramic views of the River Severn. Timber laths blend the design with its historic surroundings, and sustainable features like solar panels and near-Passivhaus construction bring it close to zero carbon.DC Water HeadquartersBy SmithGroup, Washington, DC This new LEED Platinum headquarters reimagines an urban site previously occupied by an operational water treatment facility, raising the landscape one foot above the 500-year floodplain for protection. The building, supported by massive 200-foot-long trusses, is isolated from the existing pumping station. Technological innovations include a wastewater thermal recovery system, reducing energy use for heating and cooling by 48%. The sinuous form and layered skin are shaped by site constraints, while the design integrates sustainability features like a high-performance faade, limited glazing, and energy-efficient systems. The project embodies environmental stewardship and serves as an urban icon on Washingtons Anacostia Riverfront.Perez Art Museum MiamiBy ArquitectonicaGEO and Herzog & de Meuron, Miami, FloridaThe PAMM landscape, designed by ArquitectonicaGEO, complements Herzog & de Meurons concrete architecture through a lush, native planting scheme that contrasts with the buildings geometric forms. The landscape serves as both a sculpture garden and an immersive experience, featuring South Florida natives and resilient plantings that withstand local climate challenges. Elevated above flood levels near Biscayne Bay, the design integrates innovative flood management solutions: a porous-floored parking garage and rain gardens that capture and filter stormwater to reduce flooding and support aquifer recharge. The landscape, which also serves as a sculpture garden, combines a naturalistic planting style with environmentally resilient plants and transplanted native trees to create a sustainable, serene waterfront setting for exploring art.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.The post Rising Waters: 8 Innovative Designs in Flood-Prone Regions appeared first on Journal.

Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.Flipping through the portfolio of MUDA-Architects, a distinct feature stands out across the young firms projects. Networks of pathways literally connecting building to landscape; staircases and ramps bridging building with water; arcades and courtyards heightening atmospheric perception; and soaring ceilings responding to the sky above all design features that dont simply create a seamless connection to the outdoors, but rather create a dialogue between building and surroundings, inviting users to join the conversation. While many firms describe their work as being responsive to site or integrated with nature, the Chengdu-based firm makes this conceit literal in their work.What makes this all the more remarkable is that MUDA-Architects have less than a decade of experience under their belts. The Chengdu-based studio has already completed numerous projects of substantial import and developed a distinct, relevant and mature architectural language in commissions ranking from public, cultural and commercial architecture, as well as urban, landscape and interior design. While remaining grounded in their local context, their buildings are expressive and imaginative in form, program and materiality, with a decidedly forward-looking stance (as the firm poetically put it, adhering to the oriental spirits and future-oriented mindset). For these reasons and more, Architizer has selected MUDA-Architects as the Emerging Firm of the Year for the 12th Annual A+Awards. The prize is even more fitting given that it will be awarded at Architizers A+Awards Gala in MUDAs hometown, Chengdu, this November. Stay tuned for more coverage!More About Architizers A+AwardsIn the following interview, Architizers Managing Editor, Hannah Feniak, sits down with Lu Yun, Principal Architect and founder of MUDA-Architects, to get to know more about this impressive and promising young firm.Xinglong Lake CITIC Bookstore by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, ChinaHannah Feniak: Tell us a little about your story how did you get started? How did your firm grow?Lu Yun: In 2015, we founded our firm in Beijing and Boston, and in 2017 we began our architectural practice in a true sense in Chengdu. After we won the Xinglong Lake Bookstore project competition in 2018, as the increase of our market recognition and project influence expanded, our company mainly focused on commissioned projects. Weve also been fortunate: over the past five years, several of our key projects have been successfully achieved.Tianfu Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, ChinaLooking back, which of your projects do you feel was the most significant to the firms development and why?On their first completed project, the CITIC Bookstore at Xinglong Lake, Chengdu:This was MUDA-Architects most significant project in its early days. We won first place among 249 competition entries, and the project was successfully completed and remains open till now. The design was inspired by a book falling from the sky, emphasizing harmony between the building and the natural environment. The buildings form and curves echo with the lakeside landscape. This project not only marked MUDAs beginning but also set the foundation for our core design philosophy: respecting nature and culture, emphasizing locality with contemporary design and the vision of park city development.On their most recent project: Tianfu Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine:Located in Pengzhou, Chengdu, this project serves as a new urban landmark that highlights our traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the ecological values of a park city. Inspiration from the philosophy of TCM, the design emphasizes unity between humanity and nature, along with the balance of yin and yang. The buildings form reflects the dynamic balance of the Taiji symbol. This project represents MUDAs ongoing exploration of merging Chinese cultural heritage with contemporary ecological architecture and marks us a step up from small and mid-scale projects to large-scale developments.Kuansan Town Restaurant by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, ChinaAs a young firm with roots in Beijing and Boston and an impressive and influential body of recently built projects in Chengdu, how has your unique cultural and environmental context shaped your evolution?As the founder of MUDA-Architects, my architectural education in China, along with my professional experience at an architectural firm of Germany, has given me a deep understanding of the importance of innovative design and functionalism. These experiences have profoundly shaped my perspective on architecture and my approach to design.In MUDAs practice, we uphold the core philosophy of an Eastern spirit of locality and contemporary design for the future. This concept stems from our respect for and understanding of traditional Chinese culture, while integrating it with contemporary architectural practices. We focus on expressing design diversity across various regional and cultural contexts, aiming for each project to resonate deeply with its local environment and cultural.Garden Hotpot Restaurant by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, ChinaWhat does winning Architizers Emerging of the Year Award mean to you and the firm?Receiving the Architizer A+Awards special honor, Emerging Firm of the Year, holds profound significance for both me and MUDA-Architects. Its not only a recognition of our commitment to the design philosophy of contemporary and locality, but also strengthens our confidence to push boundaries, challenging ourselves to bring forward even more creative and socially impactful architecture in future projects.We have always been dedicated to addressing the unique needs of nature, culture and the city through our designs. As a young architecture firm, this award opens new opportunities for us to connect with peers internationally and expands the horizon for MUDA s growth and impact.Minjiang Village Courier Station by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, ChinaIf you had one piece of advice to offer to the next generation of young architects, what would it be?Stay curious about the world, proactively respond to changes, keep learning, and never lose sight of the original passion for design.Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.Top image: Lujiatan Wetland Park Visitor Center by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, ChinaThe post From Landscapes to Landmarks: MUDA-Architects Practice Is a Breath of Fresh Air appeared first on Journal.

Singapore is often characterized as one of the four Asian giants. Albeit a country that has been an independent state for only 58 years since 1965 Singapore currently has one of the most powerful economies and construction industries in the world. This 290-square-mile (750-square-kilometers) island is regarded as a hub for cutting-edge design as well as a testing bed for architectural innovation, especially within the context of environmental sustainability and technology. Projects found in the iconic Gardens by the Bay, as well as the most famous airport design in the world, Jewel Changi Airport, are spaces that could have easily emerged from science fiction film sets.In fact, according to Singapore Design Week Organizers, the country is a nation by design, where its architecture places huge emphasis on the quality of life of its inhabitants. Social housing projects, green urban initiatives and cultural amenities are the most popular design briefs that Singaporean architecture firms tackle daily, transforming the country into an extraordinary ecosystem.With so many architecture firms to choose from, its challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Singapore based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.How are these architecture firms ranked?The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firms level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firms ranking, in order of priority:The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Project of the Day (2009 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Featured Project (2009 to 2024)The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Singapore architecture firms throughout the year.Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in Singapore:25. Advanced Architectural Lab ( AaL) Arch-exist photographyThe Advanced Architecture Laboratory at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) investigates the increasingly complex relationship between design and technology in architecture. Its research and design projects relate to advances in environmental strategies, building structure and form, performance and energy, computer simulation and modeling, digital fabrication and building processes.AAL has won prestigious awards including the A Design Platinum Award, Singapore Design Gold Award, SG Mark Award, Singapore Institute of Architects Award, Gwangju Design Biennale Award and International Union of Architects Award.Some of Advanced Architectural Lab ( AaL)s most prominent projects include:The South Yard, Xingbin, Laibin, China The following statistics helped Advanced Architectural Lab ( AaL) achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 24. AR43 Architects AR43 ArchitectsFounded in 2006, AR43 Architects Pte Ltd is an award winning design firm which has completed a wide range of works ranging commercial, hospitality, institutional, custom-designed residences to interior architecture projects around Asia. The firm is lead by founder Lim Cheng Kooi who has more than 20 years of experience in the field and many of his past works received awards especially recognition through publications in top architectural journals. Well-featured projects include a bungalow project at 21 Jervois Hill for which AR43 received an Honorary Mentioned Design Awards at the 10th SIA Architectural Design Awards 2010.The hallmarks of AR43 design work lies in it acknowledging a responsibility to the built environment, understanding both the physical and emotional reconstructive potential of architecture.Some of AR43 Architects most prominent projects include:Paterson 3, SingaporeJervois Hill House, Singapore22 Oei Tiong Ham Park, SingaporeThe Courtyard House, SingaporeTembusu House, Singapore The following statistics helped AR43 Architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 6 23. Prow Architects Prow Architects Pte LtdProw Architects is a multi-disciplinary design and architectural practice led by Wagen Teh. Its work focuses mainly on residential architecture.Some of Prow Architects most prominent projects include:Ribbon Tectonics, SingaporeArena House, Singapore The following statistics helped Prow Architects Pte Ltd achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 22. studioMilou Singapore studioMilou Singapore and studioMilou Architecture (Paris)studioMilou Singapore is an architectural firm specializing in the rehabilitation of existing buildings cultural projects in Asia and in France (studioMilou Architecture (Paris)).Some of studioMilou Singapores most prominent projects include:Le Carreau du Temple, Paris, FrancePlace de la Breche, Niort, France The following statistics helped studioMilou Singapore and studioMilou Architecture (Paris) achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 21. Lekker Architects Kong Chong YewLekker Architects was founded in 2014 by Ong Ker-Shing and Joshua Comaroff, classmates at Harvard Design School. The office is a platform for work in architecture, landscape, and architecture, as well as writing and specialized installations. Lekkers work has been featured in a range of publications, including Monocle (UK), Wallpaper*, MARK (the Netherlands), I.D. (NY, USA) and others.Some of Lekker Architects most prominent projects include:Gallery / House, SingaporePrivate Cemetery, Nanjing, Nanjing, ChinaCove 2 Preschool, SingaporeBelmont House, SingaporeLibrary Cafe, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore The following statistics helped Lekker Architects achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 9 20. Metre Architects Kevin SiyuanThe full spectrum of architectures content can be embodied by M E T R E whose meanings range from the quantifiable to the perceptualSome of Metre Architects most prominent projects include:S[]L[] H[]use, SingaporeTo Gather, Compassvale Link, SingaporeAn Ample House, SingaporeMeandering Light, SingaporeTriple-sided Balance, Singapore The following statistics helped Metre Architects achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 11 19. DCA Architects DCA Architects Pte LtdEstablished in 1996, DCA specializes in various typologies including commercial, residential, mixed-use, master planning, institutional and industrial projects. The firm consistently produces enduring, efficient and high-quality architectural works.Distinguished by its strategic focus in aiding clients to meet carbon targets and sustainability objectives, DCA engages all stakeholders in a holistic approach to create a positive environmental impact and drive towards a more sustainable future.Some of DCA Architects most prominent projects include:Reflections at Keppel BayThe Metropolis, Singapore36 & 38 Armenian Street, SingaporeOne George Street, SingaporeSky Habitat, Singapore The following statistics helped DCA Architects Pte Ltd achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 14 18. WOHA WOHAThe architecture of WOHA, founded by Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell in 1994, is notable for its constant evolution and innovation. A profound awareness of local context and tradition is intertwined with an ongoing exploration of contemporary architectural form-making and ideas, thus creating a unique fusion of practicality and invention. WOHA conceptualizes all aspects of the architectural process, and environmental principles have always been fundamental to the work of the practice, which is guided by a commitment to responsive place-making and to the creation of an invigorating and sustainable architecture.WOHA have developed a unique approach to tropical architecture and urbanism, weaving landscape and community space through porous structures.Some of WOHAs most prominent projects include:Oasia Hotel Downtown, SingaporePARKROYAL on Pickering, SingaporeEnabling Village, SingaporeNewton Suites, Singapore, Singapore48 NORTH CANAL ROAD, Singapore The following statistics helped WOHA achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 8 17. Teh Joo Heng Architects private, Teh Joo Heng ArchitectsTeh Joo Heng Architects was established in April, 2000 by Teh Joo Heng. It is a design oriented firm that focuses on creating imaginative and innovative design solutions to conventional design problems, thereby bringing a fresh perspective to all design projects commissioned.The design philosophy demands thorough inquiry into design issues in a rigorous search for innovative design solutions. The design process respects the traditional built environment and regional culture as heritage while embracing new technological possibilities. The design solution is expressed in strong and clear architectural forms and space without predetermined stylistic preferences to meet the aspirations of the Client, while adding to the body of knowledge in architecture and the built environment.Some of Teh Joo Heng Architects most prominent projects include:Taman Jurong Community Club Extension, SingaporeGLASS BRIDGE HOUSE, Singapore137 Market Street, Singapore, SingaporeMADRASA AT KAMPONG SIGLAP MOSQUE, SingaporeEMERALD HILL CONSERVATION HOUSES , Singapore The following statistics helped Teh Joo Heng Architects achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 16. Studio iF Studio iFFounded in 2015 and led by principal designer Gwen Tan co-founder of Formwerkz Architects, Studio iF is an interior design studio conceived with more than 20 years of architectural and interior design practice. With a profound understanding of luxury as well as expertise in hospitality design, we are able to curate bespoke interior experiences tailored to embrace, elevate and celebrate our clients luxurious lifestyles.Our repertoire of works for homes and homes away from home include some of the most unique settings: new-age farm stays, city getaways, re-invented traditional courtyard houses, resort beach villas and villas in national parks.Some of Studio iFs most prominent projects include:Light House, SingaporeBeijing Courtyard House, Beijing, ChinaOasis in the Sky, SingaporeBlossoms Villa, SingaporeOpen House, Singapore The following statistics helped Studio iF achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 6 15. K2LD Architects Khoo Guo JieK2LD is an international practice established in Singapore in 1998 and in Melbourne in 2007. Our Architectural Design philosophy embraces the Sense and Sensibility of Architecture. The senses mould the intricate relationship between time, light and material to allow spatial freedom that is beautiful in its myriad of expressions. Taming these exciting relationships materializes in an architectural experience.The sensibilities of Architecture advocate an understanding of the ways the natural beauty of materials can be brought out in construction, enhancing the imaginative appreciation of the way in which materials partake in the design. We believe that design emerges from an intensive dialogue with our Clients, a sensitive study of the site and the Clients brief.We strive to achieve design solutions in line with current developments in architectural technologies and expression, while capturing space and light in tangible form, giving meaning to Architecture.Some of K2LD Architects most prominent projects include:The Winged HouseThe Green House in Singapore, SingaporeThe Naruma Trio, SingaporeThe Anthracite House, IndonesiaThe Metallicus, Singapore The following statistics helped K2LD Architects achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 26 14. Formwerkz Architects Formwerkz ArchitectsAs a multi-disciplinary design collective, we seek to make sense and meet the challenges of todays disruptive, global environment. We embrace these conditions as impetus to question the status quo, to reinvent the wheel and to effect change for a better future. Formwerkz Architects was established since 2004. Our design is centered in the human experience and largely influenced by biophilia. We often took to hybridized resolutions to interrogate the established typologies. This method takes us outside the ordinary and pushes us to the limits.Some of Formwerkz Architects most prominent projects include:Cloister House, Johor, MalaysiaGallop House, SingaporeAl-Islah Mosque, SingaporePunggol Soka Centre, SingaporeTMW Sales Gallery, Singapore The following statistics helped Formwerkz Architects achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 9 13. Guz Architects Guz ArchitectsGuz Architects seeks to produce refreshing architecture that is tranquil, inspired by nature, yet human in scale. Their projects both derive inspiration from, and relate closely to nature. Structure, materials and technology are used to express as seamless a transition as possible between inside and outside. The resulting designs are both responsive and responsible to the site and its occupants, with consideration being given to the integration and preservation of the surrounding natural environment.The practice makes extensive use of sustainable design technologies, and both passive and active design principles infor all design decisions with the intent to create long lasting, timeless architecture, realized in projects in Australia, New Zealand, UK and Europe.Some of Guz Architects most prominent projects include:Willow House, SingaporeSky Garden House, SingaporeDalvey Road House, SingaporeTangga House, SingaporeFish House, Singapore The following statistics helped Guz Architects achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 8 12. Studio SKLIM Studio SKLIMStudio SKLIM is an emerging design practice establishing its roots in the fields of furniture design, interiors, landscape, architecture and urbanism.Some of Studio SKLIMs most prominent projects include:Hansha Reflection House, JapanRedhill Apartment, SingaporeThin Office, SingaporeMakespace, SingaporeVerdant Spine Office, Singapore The following statistics helped Studio SKLIM achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 8 11. G8A Architecture & Urban Planning G8A Architecture & Urban PlanningG8A is an architecture, urban planning and interior design company with offices in Geneva, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore. From design principles originally established in Switzerland, and with projects being developed in Asia for over a decade, G8A holds a unique position in contemporary architectural practice. Educated in the West, then learning from the contrasting context of the East, the company has been able to strengthen their designs by not only broadening their scope of knowledge but honing a precise and systematic application of innovative strategies and proposing a new architectural cohesion.Some of G8A Architecture & Urban Plannings most prominent projects include:Jakob Factory, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCOALIMEX, Hanoi, VietnamJungle Station, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamThe Bridge, Hanoi, VietnamDOTS, Hanoi, Vietnam The following statistics helped G8A Architecture & Urban Planning achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 14 10. CHANG Architects Albert Lim Koon SengWe believe that great design is a work from the mind, and the heart. We are passionate about creating innovative and exciting designs, evolving unique characteristics of each project. Our design aims to add values and enhance living for the users, while co-existing harmoniously with nature and the environment. Designing from the spatial point of view is key. Space, which is intangible, is the essence of architecture. When designs are conceived this way, the most appropriate form ensues. The other important aspect is to understand the various elements of a project, including users needs and aspirations. It is through assimilation of the grounds and active collaborations that set the path for a meaningful design.Some of CHANG Architects most prominent projects include:Cornwall Gardens, SingaporeWondrous Light Childrens House, Singapore The following statistics helped CHANG Architects achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 9. Studio Wills + Architects khoo guo jieStudio Wills + Architects is an Architectural Studio of Environment & Experience Design with a desire to make a better environment by discovering the potentials of present conditions. The aspiration to enhance the environment brings an approach of searching the extraordinary in the ordinary everyday life, through thorough understanding of sensitive observations, thoughtful making, responsive teamwork and active collaborations.Some of Studio Wills + Architects most prominent projects include:Untitled #1, SingaporeUntitled #2, SingaporeUntitled #8, Singapore#5, SingaporeProject #11, Singapore The following statistics helped Studio Wills + Architects achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 14 8. WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design WOW Architects | Warner Wong DesignWOW is an international consultancy offering professional design services in architecture, interior and landscape design, and masterplanning. An award-winning firm recognized for extensive experience in cross-border services, our projects span the Asian region and extend as far as the Middle East and North Africa. Our core competency lies in the areas of hospitality, residential and commercial design with strong lifestyle-driven concepts.Established as Warner Wong Design in the year 2000 by Wong Chiu Man and Maria Warner Wong, WOW has since evolved into a dynamic design group. Our process driven design leads to in-depth exploration and thought, resulting in a unique approach to each project rather than a particular formula or style.Some of WOW Architects | Warner Wong Designs most prominent projects include:Archifest Zero Waste Pavilion, SingaporeChiltern House, SingaporeAarohan, New Delhi, IndiaVivanta by Taj Bangalore, Bengaluru, IndiaSentosa Cove House, Singapore The following statistics helped WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 17 7. RSP Architects Planners & Engineers RSP Architects Planners & EngineersHeadquartered in Singapore, RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (RSP) is a global multidisciplinary architectural and engineering design group, with over 65 years of experience, building alongside Singapore. Our team of 1,200 industry experts across over 15 markets has successfully completed over 2,500 projects globally, to build spaces that prioritise people, community and environment, while finding innovative ways to bring their unique stories to life through design. From physical spaces to the digital realm and beyond, design permeates every aspect of our work. At RSP, design meets humanity.Some of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers most prominent projects include:Gaia, SingaporeChangi Airport Terminal 2, SingaporeLa Salle College of the Arts, SingaporeITE College Central , Singapore*Scape, Singapore The following statistics helped RSP Architects Planners & Engineers achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 16 6. SCDA SCDASCDA is a multi-disciplinary architectural practice established in 1995. Founding principal and design director Soo K. Chan was the recipient of the inaugural Presidents Design Award, Singapore Designer of the Year and is part of the Panel of Designers for Poliform in Milan. He was also the recipient of the SIA-Getz Architecture Prize for Emergent Architecture in Asia, 2006. SCDA was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects International Prize 2012 for One KL and the Lincoln Modern (2005). The firm was also the recipient of nine Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Awards. SCDAs designs strive for tranquility and calmness qualified by space, light and structural order.Some of SCDAs most prominent projects include:National Design Centre, SingaporeSkyTerrace@Dawson, SingaporeTwentyOne Angullia Park, SingaporeCluny Park Residence, SingaporeSoori High Line, New York City, New York The following statistics helped SCDA achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 4 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 11 5. WY-TO Group WY-TO GroupGuided by our philosophy, Design with A Cause, WY-TO Group combines research with a Planetary well-being approach in the design of cities, places, and spatial narratives for People. The design practice was first founded in Singapore in 2010 and later co-founded in Paris in 2012. Our combined Asia and Europe reach has provided our clients in government services and private sectors to reap the systemic benefits of a global outlook and localised design thinking.Some of WY-TO Groups most prominent projects include:LA MAISON DANS LES ARBRES, FranceLIGHT FOLDS, Paris, FranceUrban Beat, Paris, FranceGOOD FOOD, GOOD LIFE C40 Reinventing Cities Winner, SingaporeARBORESCENCE Winner of Imagine Angers, France The following statistics helped WY-TO Group achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 30 4. A D LAB A D LAB Pte LtdThe architectural firm A D Lab was set up by Warren Liu Yaw Lin and Darlene Smyth. The design firm is centred on creating new or emergent experiences by addressing the specific site, economics and programme of each individual project. In all of the work by A D Lab, there is an intensive search for a convergence to a simple and elegant solution that evokes a sense of complexity and at the same time solves all the issues and concerns of the design in an economical and poetic manner.Some of A D LABs most prominent projects include:2 Andrew Road, Singapore2 Holland Grove Terrace, SingaporeLorong M Telok Kurau House, Singapore27 Lucky Heights, SingaporeGarden Home at Rienzi, Singapore The following statistics helped A D LAB Pte Ltd achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 11 3. DP Architects DP ArchitectsDP Architects is a leading multidisciplinary design practice in Asia with 1,000 staff in 17 global offices strategically linked from Shanghai to London, and 8 specialist companies providing a range of services from architecture and urban planning to engineering, sustainable design, interior, faade and landscape design. Founded in 1967, it has built a deep portfolio of works including Golden Mile Complex, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore Sports Hub, Sengkang General & Community Hospitals and Our Tampines Hub. From Singapore, the ideas and methodologies of the design practice have since been applied to projects across 77 countries.Today, DP harnesses the collective design experience and expertise of its people under its Green-Well-Tech thrust to deliver well-calibrated interdisciplinary design solutions at all scales for better-than-sustainable outcomes; contributing to sustainable development and a citys long-term socio-economic resiliency and vibrancy.Some of DP Architects most prominent projects include:Archifest Pavilion, SingaporeSAFRA Choa Chu Kang Clubhouse, SingaporeHeartware Network Office, SingaporeSunray Woodcraft Construction Headquarters, SingaporeThe INLET Block 2, China The following statistics helped DP Architects achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 46 2. Park + Associates Edward HendricksSince it was established in 1999, Park + Associates has grown to be a studio made up of dedicated like-minded individuals that strive towards shared virtues both conceptual and aesthetic. This rings true across all levels of experiences within the office. The determination for us to achieve is strong, and as a result produce an environment that is intense yet vibrant and conducive for enhancing design discourse.We recognize the importance of people and the human experience in architecture. We understand the importance of architecture that has good bones. In every piece of design that we create, no matter the scale, we seek to create objects and spaces that resonate with the individual.Some of Park + Associates most prominent projects include:House 24, SingaporeArchitects Office at Kim Yam Road, SingaporeThe Greja House, SingaporeTaiga, SingaporeApartment V, Singapore The following statistics helped Park + Associates achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Winner 6 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 11 1. ONG&ONG ONG&ONG Pte LtdSince our founding in 1972, ONG&ONG has become synonymous with excellence and innovation. Established by the late Mr. Ong Teng Cheong and Mrs. Ong Siew May, the firm today boasts a pan Asia reach with 12 offices in key cities across the region. As pioneer of the 360 Solution, we have refined our array of design, engineering and management services alongside design-thinking methodology to encompass the full spectrum from concept to completion. Our teams collective imagination and ingenuity consistently inspire universally transformative experiences.ONG&ONGs philosophy is to elevate user experience through design and innovation, transcending the prosaic. Harnessing our talent, dedication and creativity, we endeavor to Experience + Make + Live, giving clients holistic solutions that enhance everyday living. Regardless of scale, ONG&ONG has the requisite knowledge for typologies spanning residential, civic, commercial, hospitality, retail and industrial environments.Some of ONG&ONGs most prominent projects include:Mam Concept Restaurant55 Blair Road, Singapore31 Blair Road, SingaporeQuincy Hotel, Singapore72 Sentosa Cove, Singapore The following statistics helped ONG&ONG Pte Ltd achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Singapore: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 13 Total Projects 60 Why Should I Trust Architizers Ranking?With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the worlds largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the worlds best architecture each year.Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlightedA Guide to Project AwardsThe blue + badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizers Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a projects likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:Project completed within the last 3 yearsA well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphsArchitectural designwith a high level of both functional and aesthetic valueHigh quality, in focus photographsAt least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the buildingInclusion of architectural drawings and renderingsInclusion of construction photographsThere are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizers Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.Were constantly look for the worlds best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please dont hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.The post 25 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Singapore appeared first on Journal.

At its heart, Architizers A+Product Awards celebrates products and materials that redefine the possibilities of design, technology and sustainability within architecture. For brands entering this seasons program, the ultimate goal is to follow in the footsteps of last seasons celebrated winners and have their work recognized by some of the most influential voices in the industry.Enter the A+Product AwardsCurrently open for entries, the 2025 A+Product Awards places innovative work in front of a jury of top architects and designers who are shaping the future of the built environment. Many of these thought leaders recently shared their thoughts on last years pioneering products as a precursor to this years celebration and reflected on the power of this unique industry program to champion good design.CUPACLAD by Cupa Pizarras, A+Product Awards Popular Choice Winner in the Building Envelopes, Cladding & Roofing category.Reflecting on the programs mission, Mecanoo Founding Partner and A+Product Awards JurorFrancine Houben described the judging experience as an inspiring exploration of innovation and excellence in design, enriching our built environment. With Mecanoo winning this years Firm of the Year Award, Houbens perspective carries great weight, underscoring how the A+Product Awards contributes to a larger goal: celebrating products that match up to the exacting demands of the worlds best architecture firms.Among the defining themes in last seasons winning entries was sustainability. As Stantecs Hamidreza Khademi noted, The finalists and winners embody sophisticated design, blending ingenuity, aesthetic appeal, and tangible impact. Notably, sustainability is a prevalent theme, with many products incorporating recycled materials and strategies to reduce environmental impact. Last seasons jurors were frequently impressed with how sustainable practices were rigorously integrated into high-performance, visually compelling products a vision that 2025 entrants can aspire to emulate.DEKTON Pietra Kode by Cosentino Group, A+Product Awards Jury Winner in the Hard Surfacing, Tiles & Stone category.The craftsmanship and materiality of last years winning products also left a lasting impression on the jurors. As Architectural Engineering Consultants Alessandro Mangano shared, I was impressed with the quality of craftsmanship, the use of color and composition displayed. The use of texture in many products was beautifully done. Manganos remarks underscore the commitment to quality and artistry that distinguished these entries, creating a standard for future entries to meet.Enter a ProductIn a rapidly changing design landscape, flexibility and adaptability were also key strengths recognized in last years winners. Juror Grace Eun, Senior Designer at Studio O+A, praised the trend toward solutions with flexibility and adaptability, while Gary A. Li, Principal at Kostow Greenwood Architects, highlighted the technological advances within various industries and sectors from the integration of multifunctional fixtures, accessories, products to the ability to meet many technical and sustainable goals with new materials. Entrants in the 2025 A+Product Awards will have the chance to showcase their own versatile, resilient designs in front of a jury eager to champion innovation once again.Obi by Expormim, A+Product Awards Jury Winner in the Outdoor Furniture category.Juror Louise Braverman, Founding Principal of Louise Braverman Architect, celebrated the impact of the multi-faceted qualities of the winning products, noting: Many of these products aesthetically amplify and simultaneously de-carbonize our physical world. This is good news! Her reflections capture how winning entries can go beyond functional success to make a profound impact on our world a goal that jurors will hope is carried forward in this years program.Whether exploring new sustainable materials or modular systems that enhance functionality, the A+Product Awards honor work that enriches both people and planet. As juror Gavin Leung, Founder and Chief Designer at Bagua+Bhava, summarized: The quality of work showcased this year was exceptionally high. Each product demonstrated meticulous attention to detail, innovative design, and a commitment to excellence. For 2025 entrants, this is an inspiring standard to meet, demonstrating that thoughtful design and innovation can make a lasting difference.Tantimber Thermowood by Tantimber, A+Product Awards Finalist in the Sustainable Design category.With the 2025 A+Product Awards currently accepting entries, brands worldwide are invited to join this legacy of impactful design and innovation. This is your chance to showcase work that could become the next benchmark for excellence, inspiring jurors and architects alike as they continue to shape the future of architecture. Click the button below to get started:Start SubmissionThe post An Inspiring Exploration of Innovation: Jurors Reflect on the Power of the A+Product Awards appeared first on Journal.

Have you completed a project that captures the essence of its locale while addressing global concerns? If so, Architizer's A+Awards is your platform. Enter now for a chance to have your work featured in print and online.Founded in 2008 in Beijing, Vector Architects has distinguished itself by embracing a philosophy of integrating architecture with its environment, prioritizing logic and restraint over grandiosity. Under Dong Gongs visionary leadership, the firm has charted a course focused on uncovering subtle interrelationships between program and place, using spatial structure to enhance the perception of light, breeze, material and time. In an era of rapid development, their work evokes tranquility, creating spaces that invite users to connect with their surroundings and reflect on their place within the physical world. For their profound built and discursive contributions to architecture, Architizer is proud to honor Vector Architects with this years Leadership in Design Award.Projects like the Seashore Chapel and the Jingyang Camphor Court showcase Vector Architects luminous yet grounded aesthetic. Taken as a whole, their oeuvre has defined a contemporary architectural language that honors local context and tradition in more subtle and poetic ways, encouraging users to be radically in tune with their present moment and inspiring other architects to revisit the fundamentals of architecture for the future. The firm also emphasizes the integral connection between architecture and construction. Setting an example by repositioning architectures relationship to its societal context, this belief informs every phase of their projects: from researching, experimenting and manufacturing materials to prototyping and refining joints and details and on-site supervision and coordination.Dongs contributions, however, extend beyond built work. Through speaking engagements and publications, he has become an influential voice, encouraging architects worldwide to reconsider architectures traditional boundaries. Likewise, Dongs design philosophies are guiding the next generation of architects through his teaching in China, at Tsinghua University and Central Academy of Fine Arts, and abroad, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the Polytechnic University of Turin. This dedication to the craft and broader architectural discourse exemplifies the leadership and vision for which Vector Architects is being celebrated.The following interview with Dong was conducted in honor of this prestigious award, which be presented at the A+Awards Gala in Chengdu this November. Musing on the firms architectural ethos, he elaborates on how Vector Architects approach their role as mediators between architecture and the site, balancing form with feeling and the practical with the poetic.Seashore Chapel by Vector Architects, Qinhuangdao, ChinaHannah Feniak: Tell us a little about your story how did you get started? How did your firm grow?Dong Gong: The core philosophy of Vector Architects is grounded in sincerity. We tackle architectural challenges by thoughtfully addressing social, environmental and cultural dimensions. Rather than relying on rigid or formulaic approaches, we embrace the transformative potential of space. Ultimately, I believe that solving architectural problems should evoke a meaningful emotional response in those who experience the design.As the firm is centered around me, cultivating this philosophy within a team of 30 to 40 young architects from diverse backgrounds takes time. For instance, we place great importance on construction quality. We assign on-site architects to every project so they can gradually understand Vector Architects standards for precision and quality. This daily training helps them develop the resilience needed to navigate both creative challenges and intricate details.The most significant change has been our growth in staff. When Vector Architects first started, it was just two or three of us working around a table in a residential building near Sanyuan Bridge. Now, we have nearly 30 architects and around 40 with interns. In the beginning, I attempted to apply management strategies from my experience in the U.S., but cultural and contextual differences led to frustration. In the U.S., detailed drawings are finalized before construction due to ample design time. In contrast, in China, design timelines are much shorter and changes often occur during construction. This realization prompted me to shift my focus from perfecting initial design drawings to refining project details through long-term tracking.In recent years, weve also adapted to evolving environmental trends. The Seashore Library (2015) reflected the real estate and commercial dynamics of that time. However, as China has moved away from mass construction to focus on preserving historical sites and urban spaces, urban renewal projects have become increasingly common. Vector Architects has embraced this shift, respecting existing conditions while creating innovative ways to revitalize spaces, blending the old with the new to enhance the quality of life.Seashore Library by Vector Architects, Qinhuangdao, ChinaLooking back, which of your projects do you feel was the most significant to the firms development and why? [You can pick more than one!]For many years, Vector Architects has upheld the belief that architecture holds the power to reveal the hidden energy within a site. By strategically utilizing design elements such as space, materials, light and scale, we aim to bring the essence of the place to life, making it something people tangibly experience. The Seashore Library, Captains House and Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel represent key stages in our architectural journey, each attempting to uncover and highlight the unique characteristics of their respective locations. Through architecture, we sought to create a coherent and meaningful narrative.At the Seashore Library, we envisioned the main reading space as a grandstand with gradually rising steps, allowing visitors to enjoy uninterrupted views of the sea from various levels. A large horizontal window frames the sea, making it the central focus of the space. So the sea becomes a dynamic stage, constantly shifting with the seasons and the passage of time, becoming an integral part of the library.When the Seashore Library was completed in 2015, it was dubbed Chinas loneliest library, and its influence has only grown. Over time, this building has transcended the traditional boundaries of architecture, generating an even greater impact. The library has evolved into a spatial phenomenon, which was not easily replicable. Fueled by societal progress, material accumulation and a collective yearning for deeper meaning, it emerged as a powerful experience rooted in a particular time. From a communicative perspective, the name Lonely Library and the solitude it evokes struck a deep chord, penetrating through the layers of societal noise and resonating with the emotional state of the era.Renovation of the Captains House by Vector Architects, Fuzhou, ChinaThe Captains House, located in a small coastal village in Fujian, holds a unique position due to its setting. Although the renovation was initially commissioned by a TV show, the project integrated the real-life needs of the family, which gave it deeper significance for me. In todays real estate market, communication between users and designers is often fragmented, as market pressures make it difficult to foster meaningful connections. However, when designing a residence, it is essential for architects to engage with the people who will live there, understand their needs, and reflect those insights in every space.The Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel was once an old sugar mill, already a local landmark before its renovation. The site itself has a strong, inherent energy. Nestled in a valley by the Li River, surrounded by the striking karst mountains, the site includes the 1960s sugar mill and the industrial trusses used to transport sugarcane. In the past, sugarcane was brought in by boat along the river, processed at the mill and transported out by land.In terms of layout, the new buildings are positioned on either side of the old sugar mill, keeping the mill and trusses as the focal point of the complex, emphasizing their memorial-like quality. The new structures are simple and restrained, designed to avoid overpowering the original architecture. Their abstract geometric forms, combined with perforated masonry walls, create a dialogue with the surrounding natural landscape.On my first visit to the site, I was deeply moved by the contrast: the distant mountains of the Li River, with a massive industrial truss suddenly appearing in the foreground. Weathered by decades, the once-rough truss now seemed like a natural relic. In some buildings, the most valuable element is the passage of time and the history it imparts. Our interventions here were minimalwe simply added a swimming pool and made subtle adjustments to preserve the most evocative aspects of the site. Seven years later, the Sugarhouse Hotel has become a seamless part of its environment. The weathered concrete blocks, now intertwined with climbing plants, have softened over time, blending seamlessly with and enriching the landscape of the old sugar mill and its surroundings.Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel by Vector Architects, Guilin, ChinaYour work has been hailed as a hallmark of a new school of contemporary Chinese architecture. How do you feel your firms unique cultural and environmental context has shaped its evolution?Architecture is a discipline rooted in practice, where architects need to prove themselves through their work. The era of rapid urban development in the West has come to an end, and their current construction output pales in comparison to that of China. While there is increasing interest in Chinese architectural design in the West, a significant gap in understanding remains. The energy and potential within Chinas architectural landscape far exceed what the West has observed or grasped.There is a time lag between China and the West in addressing current challenges facing the architectural industry. We have our own urgent issues to solve, and it requires both responsibility and courage to tackle them often in ways that are not immediately obvious. We must confront the relationship between architecture and society, be it technical or emotional. While this path may be longer, it is a deeply meaningful pursuit.In every project, our team and I focus on striking the right balance in design, aiming for quality that is sincere, unpretentious and modest. This is a vital quality for any architect. If we think of architecture as a reflection of character, buildings should possess virtues such as humility, politeness and restraint in how they coexist with their surroundings. Just as individuals can possess deep thoughts and talents, so can architecture. Both in China and around the world, there is a growing appreciation for buildings that, instead of being overly extravagant, resonate with people through their spatial quality and integrity. Over the past decade, architectural design has witnessed a significant shift in these values.Jingyang Camphor Court by Vector Architects, Jingdezhen, ChinaWhat does winning Architizers Leadership in Design Award mean to you and the firm?As Chinas urbanization evolves, architecture is gradually adapting to these changes. We believe the role of architecture is shifting from being merely a symbol of power and a landmark to serving as a mediator and coordinator that engages in the collaborative development of urban and rural areas. This transition does not signify a compromise in construction quality; rather, it embodies a more humble and thoughtful approach. It allows architecture to coexist harmoniously with the social, historical and natural contexts upon which we depend, thereby fostering a more vibrant vitality.In our seventeen years of practice at Vector Architects, we have evolved from early projects like the Shoreside Library often described as viral and a landmark to our recently completed Jinyang Camphor Court in Jingdezhen. In these projects, we have made significant efforts to preserve each original tree while nurturing spaces where the old and new coexist harmoniously. We have come to realize that architecture should not impose itself forcefully or stand in opposition to its surroundings. Instead, we are exploring how architecture can sensitively and authentically respond to the sites characteristics, becoming a more site-specific entity that resonates with its environment.Looking ahead, we will continue to serve as mediators between architecture and the site. We aspire for architecture to restore and reinforce the ordinary elements of life with a benevolent approach. This does not mean that architecture relies on the site; rather, through re-delineation, negotiation and revelation, both architecture and the site evolves together to achieve a new balance. In this process, architecture actively participates in the sites reconstruction, coexisting and iterating with the surrounding environment, reviving the essence of the ordinary and allowing it to shine.This award encourages us as we hope our practices will positively influence the future trajectory of architecture.Liyuan Foreign Language Primary School by Vector Architects, Shenzhen, ChinaThis award reflects your powerful leadership not only in your built work, but also through speaking and teaching. If you had one piece of advice to offer the next generation of architects specifically Chinese, or global what would it be?Its about passion. Architecture is a field that demands time, experience and growth; it doesnt change overnight like some industries. There are no shortcuts to becoming a great architect; it requires patience and continuous practice. Without passion, this journey can feel arduous and the sense of achievement may come slowly. However, if you love what you do, theres no need to hesitate. The rewards of architecture are unique: from developing design concepts to seeing the physical structure come to life and witnessing how people interact with the spaces youve created this sense of accomplishment is unparalleled.Architects dont just design buildings; they actively engage with society on multiple levels. From boardroom meetings with stakeholders to hands-on work at construction sites, the shift between roles is challenging, yet deeply rewarding. When your design is realized and appreciated by the people who use it, youll understand how profoundly impactful and distinctive the role of an architect is.Have you completed a project that captures the essence of its locale while addressing global concerns? If so, Architizer's A+Awards is your platform. Enter now for a chance to have your work featured in print and online.The post Leadership by Design: Dong Gong on Reimagining Contemporary Architecture in China and Beyond appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.When we think about minimalist architecture and interiors, many of us visualize uncluttered, monochromatic spaces in white, gray, and earthy tones, complementing unadorned, streamlined forms. While some might find these spaces uninviting and cold, others see them as calming and functional. This duality demonstrates that minimalism goes beyond aesthetics, influencing how we experience architecture and space.Minimalism emerged in the mid-20th century as a reaction against the ornamentation that characterized earlier 20th-century architectural styles, such as Classical Revival and Art Deco. It reduces architecture to its basic forms, embracing the less is more principle that architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe popularized. Minimalism focuses on clean lines, simple forms, and minimal ornamentation, allowing for spatial clarity.Characteristics of Minimalist ArchitectureHelmut Lang Concept Store designed by Standard. West Hollywood, California | Photo by Benny Chan | Fotoworks + Jenny Ly.What are the typical characteristics of minimalist architecture?Minimalist architecture is characterized by various key design elements that focus on functionality and simplicity. Open floor plans are a common feature in minimalist spaces. They offer a sense of spaciousness, but they also emphasize flexibility and multi-functionality to adapt to different needs. Natural lighting enhances spatial quality, adding warmth and complementing the simplicity of lines and forms. This approach reinforces minimalist architectures serene, quiet, and practical nature, embodying the less is more principle.Materials like exposed concrete, steel, glass, wood, and stone are selected for their inherent beauty, introducing subtle richness through texture. Here, the ornamentation comes with the materials own qualities. This design approach that focuses on streamlined forms and clean lines requires meticulous attention to detail to ensure that every component contributes to the overall cohesiveness of the design.Habitat 67, designed by Moshe Safdie in 1967. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. | Photo by Thomas Ledl via Wikimedia Commons.Which architectural styles are minimalism typically associated with?Minimalism is associated with various architectural styles that share the same principles of simplicity and practicality. They include movements such as modernism, International Style, and Brutalism. Scandinavian design is known for its minimalistic design approach, prioritizing functionality, simplicity and comfort. Additionally, minimalist influence is evident in many examples of contemporary architecture, where clean lines and functional design continue to reflect minimalist ideals.Judes Cubes concrete art by minimalist artist Donald Judd. Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas, US. | Photo by John Cummings via Wikimedia Commons.What is the relationship between minimalist architecture and other minimalist movements?Minimalist architecture shares connections with other minimalist movements in the visual arts and product design. They are unified by a focus on essential elements. Minimalist architectures emphasis on the use of materials like wood, stone, steel, concrete and glass often presented in their natural, unaltered state is mirrored in minimalist sculpture, where artists like Donald Judd utilize similar materials to create works that highlight form, space and the observers experience. Both minimalist architecture and art create contemplative experiences: architecture focuses attention on light, shadow and space, while minimalist art evokes serenity and introspection through subdued color palettes and simple compositions.History of Minimalist ArchitectureBauhaus Desssau, School of Art, Design, and Architecture designed by Walter Gropius and built between 1925 and 1926. Dessau-Rolau, Germany. | Photo by Tegula, via Pixabay.Can the Bauhaus be considered a precursor to minimalism?The Bauhaus can be considered a precursor to minimalism. Founded in Germany in 1919 by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus emerged as a reaction against the ornamentation that characterized earlier 20th-century architectural styles, such as Classical Revival and Art Deco. In contrast with these styles, the Bauhaus embraced simple forms, clean lines, and minimal ornamentation, influenced by earlier art movements such as De Stijl. Additionally, the Bauhaus promoted a form follows function ethos, highlighting a design approach where every element in a space or structure is intentional and functional.The Bauhaus also embraced the use of materials like glass, steel and concrete all key elements of minimalist architecture. The Bauhaus ideals generated a series of movements that extended its legacy. Among them, the International Style, developed in the 1920s and 1930s, carried the principles of simplicity and functionalism to a global architectural scale, emphasizing open floor plans, simple forms, clean lines, and a deliberate lack of ornamentation.Traditional Japanese house interior. | Photo by TANAKA Juuyoh via Flickr.What role did traditional Japanese design play in the rise of minimalism?Traditional Japanese design brought a philosophy of mindful simplicity and harmony with nature that resonated with the core principles of minimalism. It introduced a philosophy of restraint and harmony that appealed to minimalist architects. This approach emphasizes the beauty of restraint, where spaces foster a sense of tranquility. Key elements such as open layouts, natural materials and a connection to the outdoors resonate with minimalist architects, who seek to create serene environments that prioritize functionality and well-being.Alvar Aalto Studio. | Photo by Jonathan Platteau via Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.Why is Scandinavia so closely associated with minimalism?Characterized by bright, airy interiors and a neutral color palette, Scandinavian design embodies the principles of minimalism by prioritizing simplicity and clean lines. This aesthetic avoids clutter, creating a serene environment that promotes well-being. The use of natural materials like wood and stone adds warmth and fosters a sense of harmony with nature, which is central to minimalist ideals. Notable figures like Alvar Aalto exemplify this integration, as his designs reflect a commitment to simplicity, functionality, and a deep connection to the natural environment.Moreover, Scandinavian design emphasizes quality, enhancing the hygge experience a Danish lifestyle philosophy centered on comfort, coziness, and well-being. By combining hygge with minimalist principles, this design approach results in visually appealing and comfortable spaces that promote warmth and contentment.Case StudiesWhat are famous examples of minimalism in architecture?The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe (Barcelona, Spain, 1929): This construction is a landmark of minimalist architecture with its simple yet elegant form using glass, steel, and marble. Its open plan, clean lines, material quality, and attention to detail embody the core principles of minimalism.Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier (Poissy, France, 1931): It is often categorized as a modernist work but embodies many minimalist principles, particularly through Le Corbusiers Five Points of Architecture. The houses simple form, open floor plan, and deliberate lack of ornamentation showcase a minimal, functional approach, making it a precursor to minimalist design.The Glass House by Philip Johnson (New Canaan, Connecticut, 1949): Johnsons Glass House is a minimalist pavilion with floor-to-ceiling glass walls that blurs indoor-outdoor boundaries. The houses simplicity and limited material palette allow the landscape to become an integral part of the design.The Future of Minimalist ArchitectureReiters Reserve Premium Suites designed by BEHF Architects. Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria. | Photo by Kurt HrbstWhat are the criticisms of minimalist architecture?Minimalist architecture is widely admired for its clean aesthetic, but critics argue that its bare appearance can feel cold and create a sense of emptiness. Functionally, minimalist spaces can also be perceived as impractical, with limited storage and furnishings that sometimes prioritize aesthetics over comfort. In recent years, critics have hailed the return of maximalism as a culturally subconscious response to these criticisms.Despite its simplicity, minimalist spaces can be costly to achieve, as their refined look generally requires high-quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship. Ultimately, minimalist architecture strikes a delicate balance: while it aims at creating uncluttered and serene spaces, it can sacrifice warmth and functionality in its quest for perfection. This ongoing debate challenges designers and architects to find new ways to balance minimalisms purity with the hygge and functionality that make spaces feel both comfortable and practical.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.Top image: Paul R. Burleycreator QS:P170,Q57979330,Farnsworth House Plano-9983,CC BY-SA 4.0The post Architecture 101: What is Minimalism in Architecture? appeared first on Journal.

Ema is a trained architect, writer and photographer whoworks as a Junior Architectat REX in NYC. Inspired by her global experiences, she shares captivating insights into the worlds most extraordinary cities and buildings and provides travel tips on her blog,The Travel Album.In architecture, the client-architect relationship is the cornerstone of meaningful design. At its best, this relationship allows architecture to transcend mere function and aesthetics, producing spaces that reflect the unique identity, desires and aspirations of the people who use them. While technical expertise and creative vision are essential, understanding the client on a deeper level transforms a project from a standard commission into a personal and powerful architectural statement. The client-architect relationship is pivotal, and architects should master the art of understanding their clients how empathy, communication and collaboration shape exceptional design outcomes.The Client as a Co-Creator in the Design ProcessImage generated by Architizer via MidjourneyIn contemporary architectural practice, clients are not just patrons funding a project; they are co-creators whose involvement enriches the design process. Their needs, preferences and personal stories are invaluable inputs and an architects task is to not merely interpret a brief but to uncover layers of meaning behind the clients words often translating abstract desires into tangible spaces. Understanding a clients lifestyle, cultural background and future aspirations provides a design foundation that is as functional as it is emotionally resonant.Architect Louis Kahn once said, A building is like a child; it needs a mother. In this analogy, the architect provides form and structure, but the client nurtures the intent, making the design process a truly collaborative journey.Building Empathy: Listening Beyond the BriefOne of the most critical skills for an architect is the ability to listen. While initial client meetings typically revolve around practical requirements budget, square footage, materials successful projects are born from architects ability to read between the lines. Active listening reveals insights beyond what is explicitly stated, capturing unarticulated preferences and emotional responses. For example, a client might request open, airy spaces, but what they may truly be seeking is a sense of freedom or tranquility. An architects role involves probing deeper with thoughtful questions and interpreting these desires into design elements like spatial openness, natural light or material warmth.Leon Liaofrom Barcelona, Espaa,Paimio Sanatorium3,CC BY 2.0Case Study: Alvar Aaltos Paimio Sanatorium A Client-Centered ApproachAlvar Aaltos Paimio Sanatorium is an excellent example of architecture designed with an extraordinary understanding of its users. Built for tuberculosis patients in the 1930s, Aalto tailored every detail to their comfort and healing. The buildings orientation maximizes sunlight and fresh air circulation, while specially designed chairs allow patients to breathe more easily. This project exemplifies how thoughtful design, rooted in empathy for end users, can profoundly impact the lives of its occupants.Striking the Balance: Vision vs. Client ExpectationsOne of the greatest challenges architects face is balancing their creative vision with client expectations. Youll frequently work with an architect who becomes highly frustrated when a clients vision doesnt align with their own professional judgment on whats best. While clients seek innovative design, they may also hold preconceived notions that constrain the architects freedom. The best way to navigate this tension is usually by guiding clients through a design process that educates, inspires and reassures. Tools such as mood boards, sketches, physical models, past project precedents or virtual reality walkthroughs can bridge the gap between the architects vision and the clients imagination.I could imagine that an architect like Zaha Hadids, with her bold, futuristic designs likely initially encounter resistance. but her ability to convey her vision through models and presentations gradually won clients over. The resulting projects became icons of architectural innovation, demonstrating how strong client relationships can unlock daring design. Naturally, designs dont have to be overly complex or bold to encounter skeptical or resistant clients Ive experienced this even with the simplest concepts. Each project is unique, and every client has distinct expectations and preferences.Communication: The Key to Trust and CollaborationImage generated by Architizer via MidjourneyClear and consistent communication is essential throughout the architectural process. Initial meetings set the tone for trust and regular updates ensure transparency, preventing misunderstandings and delays. Architects who involve clients at every step whether through informal check-ins or collaborative workshops build confidence and foster a sense of shared ownership over the final design. Design charrettes are a particularly effective way of involving clients in the creative process (I believe this approach should be implemented more frequently). These collaborative sessions could invite clients to participate in brainstorming and problem-solving alongside the architect, enhancing the design with diverse perspectives. While this doesnt always happen, the design process typically involves architects developing and presenting multiple design iterations, allowing the client to review and gradually gravitate toward one option over the others.Collaborating closely with the client and consistently understanding their vision and preferences helps guide the design as it evolves. Sometimes, clients needs can evolve over the course of a project (this is acceptable within reason and depending on the projects stage of development), and architects must remain agile enough to adapt without compromising design integrity. A successful architect-client relationship requires a flexible mindset, where changes are seen not as disruptions but as opportunities for refinement.The Long-Term Impact: Architecture as a Personal LegacyBuildings are more than just physical structures; they often become integral to both the clients and the architects legacy. A private home designed for a client can encapsulate deeply personal stories, reflecting intimate memories and individual lifestyles, while a business or institutional building embodies brand values, mission, or even the aspirations of a broader community. Each space is a carefully crafted environment that goes beyond mere function; it becomes a vessel for identity, a place where stories unfold. A well-designed space resonates emotionally with its users, influencing their experience and interactions, while standing as a lasting testament to the architects creative expertise and the clients vision.Consider one of my favorite examples, the Fallingwater house by Frank Lloyd Wright, where the Kaufmann familys desire for a retreat immersed in nature resulted in one of the most iconic homes in modern architecture. Wrights understanding of his clients deep connection with the landscape enabled him to create a masterpiece that continues to inspire generations of architects and nature lovers alike.Designing for People, Not Just SpacesImage generated by Architizer via MidjourneyAt its heart, architecture is about designing for people. Buildings may be celebrated for their beauty or technical brilliance, but the most enduring designs are those that respond thoughtfully to the needs and aspirations of their users. The art of understanding clients is not a soft skill it is a fundamental part of architectural practice, requiring empathy, active listening and the ability to translate human desires into built form.Ultimately, architecture is a dialogue between the architects vision and the clients identity. By embracing this relationship as a collaborative partnership, architects can create spaces that are not only functional and beautiful but also meaningful and deeply personal. Designing with purpose means designing with people in mind, ensuring that every project, no matter the scale, is a reflection of both the architects creativity and the clients story.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.The post Designing with Purpose: The Art of Understanding Clients in Architecture appeared first on Journal.

Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.When it comes to architectural education, architectural practitioners are quite critical, often accusing universities of being unable to prepare students for the real-world challenges of the industry. Still, it is undeniable that, after going through approximately five to seven years of education, young architects possess a range of skills: drawing, model-making, mastering software (rendering! 3D modeling! programming!), writing, filming and editing, in addition to developing complex critical thinking and problem-solving skills.Upon entering into the architectural industry, many have remarked that these skills remain underutilized, ignored and even forgotten, thus forging a myopic view of what the architects skillset (and, by extent, value) truly is. In later years, however, following the immense criticism towards working culture and salary expectations in architectural practice, a new trend the side hustle is emerging. Developed through necessity rather than innovation, side hustles were established as a way for architects to increase their income and put their array of skills into good use from drawing commissions, writing articles, designing logos and even becoming film editors or photographers.The rise of side hustles within the architectural profession speaks to a larger shift, not only in the way architects perceive their roles but also in how the industry itself is evolving. The side hustle movement hints at a future where the architect is no longer a singular figure confined to drafting buildings, but a multi-faceted professional capable of wearing many hats whether its as a writer, artist, filmmaker, or designer in diverse industries. The side hustle, once viewed as an escape from the hardships of architectural practice, is now reshaping the profession, offering young architects a chance to diversify, adapt, and, ultimately, redefine what it means to be an architect in the 21st century.The following five figures are trained architects, who decided to steer away from the traditional path, turning their side hustle into a successful career and, in some cases, making it a part of their architectural practice.Jeff Durkin, Filmmaker View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jeff Durkin / Design Films (@durkin.films)Jeff Durkin graduated from UC Berkley with a degree in architecture and worked in practice for six years. After he moved to Los Angeles, he worked as a camera assistant and camera tracker for ten years, before founding Breadtruck Films: a production company dedicated to making videos on all things design. Jeff Durkin used his company as a vehicle for storytelling within the design industry, making films that featured an array of architects and their design process and approach.Maya Lin, Architect & SculptorEb0178a, Maya Lin installation at Renwick Gallery , CC BY-SA 4.0Maya Lin holds a degree in architecture from Yale school of architecture and is renowned for both her architectural projects as well as her large-scale environmental artworks and memorial designs. Nature and environment are topics that are present in all of her work, aiming to blur boundaries or work in-between them and to construct relationships with the land and the ties to its history, memory, time and language.Bjarke Ingels, Architect & Comic Book CreatorBujdos Attila, BIG Yes Is More exhibition at DAC 2009, CC BY 3.0Bjarke Ingels is known as the founder of the Copenhagen-based architectural practice Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG. His childhood ambition was to become a cartoonist; thus, he began studying architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, hoping to improve his drawing skills. Eventually however, he opted to become an architect. Still, his comic book days were not left behind. In 2022 he published Yes is More. An Archicomic on Architectural Evolution, which investigates, through comic book format, a pragmatic utopian architecture that speaks of socially, economically and environmentally equal, perfect places.Massimo Vignelli, Graphic Designersection215, Vignelli 2008 Subway Map, CC BY 2.0Massimo Vignelli studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. Highly active in the design field, he worked as an interior and environmental designer as well as in packaging, furniture and product design and most prominently as a graphic designer. He famously designed the signage for the New York City subway, eventually founding his firm Vignelli Associates, which became one of the most prestigious design firms in the world. Vignellis philosophy was: If you can design one thing, you can design everything.Yiorgis Yerolympos, Photographer View this post on InstagramA post shared by MODERN ARCHITECT MAGAZINE (@modern.architect)Yiorgis Yerolympos studied photography at the Technological Institute of Athens and architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He also holds a masters degree from Goldsmiths College, University of London as well as a Ph.D. at the School of Art and Design of the University of Derby, UK. His work explores the intersection of nature and culture and how it can be exemplified in contemporary photography, producing a series of photographic records of human-altered landscapes that have undergone socio-political changes.Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.Featured Image: Olof Werngren, The Blade Runner Tyrell Skyscraper model, CC BY-SA 2.0The post Side Hustlers: 5 Architects Putting Their Skills Outside of Design appeared first on Journal.

The Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, December 6. Get your brand in front of the AEC industrys most renowned designers by submitting today.In 2024, the idea of workplace and what that represents has significantly shifted. Whether spaces for permanent, hybrid or freelance workers, over the last five years, the office as a concept has undergone a massive transformation. The high expectations and shifting requirements of employees and employers are being researched and understood better than ever before.Offices are no longer designed with ultimate productivity at the core of their ethos. Today, the workplace has become somewhere that is expected to nourish creativity, nurture its inhabitants and adapt to the unique needs of every individual. This years Architizer A+Product Awards winners capture this ambition brilliantly, offering solutions for workspaces that are adaptive, intuitive and unapologetically innovative.Enter the A+Product AwardsWhat makes an office the best in the world? Its not bean bags, beers or bland breakout spaces. Today, the office is a balanced ecosystem of both products and people thoughtfully considered, seriously sustainable, highly inclusive and at the forefront of design strategy. Each product on this list shapes the experience of being at work in a positive way to help architects and designers create the best environments possible for the workforce of tomorrow.Solatube SolaMaster 750 Tubular Daylighting Device (TDD)By Solatube International, Inc.Jury Winner, Best of the Year, Health and Wellbeing, 2024 A+Product AwardsSolatubes SolaMaster 750 is designed to fill workplaces with natural light. Circadian rhythms are vital for health and using Spectralight Infinity Tubing Solatube International, Inc. can reduce reliance on artificial lighting while blocking UV and heat. In addition to being deal for multi-use spaces, the ICC 500-compliant system is shown to decrease eyestrain, improve focus and enhance overall well-being, acknowledging that daylighting is a practical health feature for todays best offices and making it simple to incorporate it.Qwel Acoustic Ceiling TilesBy Genesis ProductsJury Winner, Finishes, Ceiling, 2024 A+Product AwardsQwel Acoustic Ceiling Tiles are a combination of bold aesthetics with quiet function, using sustainable PET fibers to bring sound-absorbing serenity to otherwise busy and noisy workplaces. Available in a number of rich, calming tones, the tiles aid in bringing both acoustic comfort and visual interest to office ceilings, creating spaces that help to enhance focus and support well-being across open-plan environments.Universal Series Window WallBy Cascadia Windows & DoorsPopular Choice Winner, Faades & Openings, Glass & Glazing, 2024 A+Product AwardsWindows can make or break a good office environment, so why not have the best you can get? Cascadias Universal Series Window Wall is a sustainable powerhouse of a product, featuring a high-performance fiberglass frame that enhances thermal efficiency while elegantly framing expansive views. With Passive House-level ratings and options for double or triple glazing, these windows bring energy savings for employers and an abundance of natural light for workers, creating a comfortable, well-lit environment that aligns with todays wellness-focused workplace design strategies.ModwallBy KovaJury Winner, Best of the Year, Flexible Design, 2024 A+Product AwardsKOVAs Modwall is an innovative product. Offering a modular alternative to drywall that is routed in the modern need for flexibility. With plant-based insulation and panels that can be easily demounted and reassembled, the integrated plug-and-play system adapts to shifting office layouts and locations. Ultimately reducing construction waste and delivering optimum flexibility for workspaces and workforces that evolve with their businesses.Seem 1 Acoustic LouverBy Focal PointJury Winner, Lighting, Recessed & Mounted Lighting, 2024 A+Product AwardsThe Seem 1 Acoustic Louver does double duty. The beautiful product brings light and sound control together in one sleek package. Deep-set louvers with a choice of felt colors help to shape the ambiance of any office space, providing calm, focused lighting while enhancing acoustic comfort a solution that makes every ceiling work harder in the modern office.New Framery Smart Pod FamilyBy FrameryJury Winner, Furnishings, Furniture Systems, 2024 A+Product AwardsFramerys Smart Pod family is the peak of both privacy and sustainability in office design. Each futuristic pod is 100% recyclable and 23% lighter than before. Equipped with radar-based lighting and ventilation that adapt to the number of occupants, the soundproof pods combine high-tech and eco-friendly in a way that few products manage to doa perfect place for focused work or confidential meetings while hitting those all-important climate targets.ForyuBy KeilhauerJury Winner, Best of the Year, Commercial Design, 2024 A+Product AwardsForyu are built to blend in while standing out. With a self-weighted mechanism that adjusts invisibly, these elegant office chairs, designed by Martin Ballendat, allow users to experience comfort and support. Ergonomic contours, breathable backrests and custom textile options make it a perfect fit for any collaborative space or boardroom, proving that when design is intuitive, comfort becomes effortless.GradientBy PairPopular Choice Winner, Furnishings, Furniture Systems, 2024 A+Product AwardsDesigned with the future and the unknown in mind, Gradient by Pair and Gensler allows workspaces to evolve without limits to help workers connect, collaborate, and socialize with other people. The exposed Beam at the center of the design acts as a power and data exoskeleton, giving teams the flexibility to create focus zones, lounge areas, and collaborative hubs with ease at any time. Its intuitive design and simple functionality make Gradient a true reflection of todays connected office.Beam Lounge CollectionBy NienkamperPopular Choice Winner, Furnishings, Contract Seating, 2024 A+Product AwardsThe Beam Lounge Collection marries playfulness with practicality. An innovative seating collection that is compact and curvaceous with an exposed wood beam to add warmth and a touch of sophistication. This unexpected collection is available in single, double, or triple-seat options with bold, low-sheen tables. Beam is perfect for lobbies, lounges and breakout spaces delivering a relaxed, contemporary style with just enough structure.CapasBy Davis FurnitureJury Winner, Furnishings, Contract Furniture, 2024 A+Product AwardsThe Capas Table by jehs+laub is the latest occasional table collection to join Davis Furniture. The sophisticated design captures both balance and contrast, visually from light and ethereal to solid and grounded, depending on how the viewer approaches the piece. Crafted from seamless aluminum and supported by two elegantly curved legs, each table can nest together or stand alone to create a sculptural form of functional pieces that add a distinctive aesthetic to any workspace.Admix TablesBy AllsteelJury Winner, Best of the Year, Commercial Design, 2024 A+Product AwardsAdmix Tables bring unmatched flexibility to the modern workplace. With its modern yet playful design, Admix could comfortably belong in a conference room, breakout lounges or even a cafe. The lightweight tables with telescoping legs, wheelbarrow feature, and integrated storage ensure these tables adapt effortlessly, turning every workspace into a versatile environment with plenty of style.WashBarBy Bradley CorporationPopular Choice Winner, Best of the Year, Commercial Design, 2024 A+Product AwardsThe WashBar is a stunning solution for any workplace environment. Combining soap, water and drying functions into one sleek, touch-free unit, it is stylish and highly practical. Engineered for reliable and precise activation, with LED guidance and an array of six finishes, it turns handwashing into an elevated experience that keeps shared restrooms clean and clutter-free. An excellent option to upgrade from institutional to inspired.R.U.M. ChairBy WehlersJury Winner, Best of the Year, Positive Impact, 2024 A+Product AwardsThe Wehlers R.U.M. chair is a full Circular Economy solution and a true champion of circular design. Made entirely from recycled materials, Wehlers R.U.M. is a sustainable chair with a plastic shell made of recycled plastic waste from three different waste streams: fishing nets, e-waste or insulin pens. Nothing is added, and the waste steam decides the color of the seat and back. Fishermans green, keyboard black or Pharma blue. Additionally, each chair is equipped with a tracking chip to monitor its lifecycle. This B-Corp-certified chair is built to be reused and refurbished, setting a new standard for responsible, transparent office design.Space Theorys Interior Drawer ComponentsBy Space TheoryJury Winner, Furnishings, Accessories, 2024 A+Product Awards Sometimes, it is the little things that make office life better, and Space Theorys Interior Drawer Components are one of those products. Offering modular, precision-fit storage for kitchens, Space Theory has made organization both beautiful and simple. With stackable hardwood inserts and stainless-steel trays that lift out or suspend from the Opencast system, these pieces are designed for todays meticulous, design-conscious office spaces that value cleanliness and efficiency, so everything has its place.SketchUpBy TrimbleJury Winner, Technology, Architecture Software, 2024 A+Product Awards A champion of every architecture office, this year SketchUp goes beyond the basics, introducing tools like PreDesign for climate-specific insights and a beta Scan-to-Design feature that transforms real-world spaces into 3D models instantly. Paired with its intuitive iPad functionality and AI-driven 3D Warehouse Image Search, SketchUp 2024 allows architects to sketch, iterate and visualize from studio to site across teams and even continents.Vectorworks Architect 2024By Vectorworks, Inc.Popular Choice Winner, Technology, Architecture Software, 2024 A+Product AwardsYear after year, Vectorworks steps up. This year, Vectorworks Architect 2024 expands the creative toolkit, enabling architects to sketch, model and document in a fully integrated workflow with the worlds most design-centric BIM solution. New features include the ability to save custom viewport settings as styles and robust parametric objects redefined to address your specific needs, allowing designers to experiment and innovate without losing efficiency built for architects who demand both freedom and precision.Follow in the footsteps of these sixteen innovative brands by entering this years A+Product Awards and receive major industry recognition from architects and designers worldwide:Enter A+Product AwardsThe Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, December 6. Get your brand in front of the AEC industrys most renowned designers by submitting today.The post The Worlds Best Office: 16 Products for the Workspace of Tomorrow appeared first on Journal.

The latest edition of Architizer: The Worlds Best Architecture a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe is now available. Order your copy today.In the not-too-distant past, homes were our sanctum static spaces that were ours and ours alone. Spare rooms were reserved for friends, family members, untouched gym equipment and once-worn clothes. Fast forward, and today, the idea of a home as a purely personal space is almost quaint. The side hustle era, like its adopters, is showing no signs of slowing down, and owning a property is one of the most popular income generators in this evolving economy.Despite some recent criticism and regulatory crackdowns in certain cities, the short-term rental platforms continue to grow, supported by a demand for flexible, temporary accommodation and an understanding that short-term rentals, while potentially problematic in cities, are a lifeblood to smaller communities that rely on tourism to boost economic growth. The Airbnb effect, if we can call it that, has been seismic. In 2024 alone, the platform boasts 7.7 million active listings globally, with hosts earning over $9.9 billion in revenue in 2023 a 19.2% increase from the previous year. In 2023, Airbnb saw 448 million bookings worldwide, up 13.9% from the year before. Although often the case, this success is not entirely about homeowners looking to make a little extra income. The way we work and live is changing, with many workers and, therefore, homeowners opting into a nomadic lifestyle, working from their devices while moving from place to place.According to a 2022 survey, 45% of new home buyers in cities like London and New York are factoring potential Airbnb rental revenue into their buying decisions. Thats nearly half of all new buyers purchasing their homes with an imaginary revolving door of guests in mind. As a result, architects and designers are faced with new challenges when thinking about how these properties should look and function. How do you create spaces that work just as well for a family of four as they do for a group of travelers who booked a spare room after one too many beers and missed their flight home? Well, thats where things get interesting. Designing a home for potential short-term rental means factoring in a whole new set of requirements: adaptability, durability and the ability to disguise the fact that youve hosted fifty people in the past six months while somehow maintaining a feeling of home when you return.Kalrav Villa Design by VPA Architects, Ahmedabad, India | Photos by Inclined StudioPossibly one of the most vital things to think about when designing a home that will be used for short-term rental is materiality. Not all spaces are treated equally, and unfortunately, how a person treats a home that is not their own is often significantly different from how they treat a space they rent. According to a 2023 survey by AirDNA, guests in short-term rentals are, on average, 30% less likely to take care of property maintenance issues compared to long-term tenants, and that translates directly into the wear and tear a home will experience. Durability is a friend here. Laminates are prone to damage from standing water and spills, an inevitable outcome in any sort of rental. While an owner might be meticulous at wiping up, a guests probably wont be. Using materials that are easier to maintain or repair is a good idea. Solid wood is great but often expensive. Timber veneers offer a resilient compromise. They can be repaired, stripped and restained, providing much-needed longevity to furniture. Again, a solid surface like marble is excellent for high-interaction areas due to its strength and heat resistance, but it can stain if not sealed properly especially when exposed to wine, coffee or acidic substances. A granite or manufactured solid surface can often be the smarter choice.Similarly, flooring takes a heavy beating in short-term rentals, especially from suitcases, spills and high heels. Once more, laminates and softwoods are not the best options unless the plan is to replace them frequently. Instead, engineered hardwood, which offers the look of solid wood with more resilience to scratches and moisture, is a more durable option. For even more durability, tile or luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring is a top choice. Both are waterproof, scratch-resistant and becoming more budget-friendly by the day.Sydney Harbour Apartment by Brooke Aitken Design, Sydney, Australia | Photos by Prue RuscoeWhile picking the right materials is essential, one thing that can really help keep a rental looking fresh is including patterns. Busy surfaces, like terrazzo or speckled granite, can cleverly hide stains and minor scratches, making them perfect for high-traffic kitchens and bathrooms. Carpets and fabrics that have a lot going on will hide a multitude of sins. A hair iron burn on a busy carpet is a lot less obvious than on solid cream.Now, heres where things get intriguing. Designing a home for an individual is one thing, but designing a home for everyone and anyone well, thats a whole new ball game. Short-term rentals mean different people with different needs coming and going, so adaptability is the name of the game.To get the most out of a rental space, it should be able to shift between being a cozy family haven one week to a buzzing party pad the next. Movable partitions, fold-out beds, or multifunctional furniture like storage ottomans and expanding tables are all practical solutions. The furniture should work harder than normal, opting for pieces that can transform a single space into multiple configurations, a bedroom into an office, or a dining room into a playroom. This way, a listing will appeal to a much broader audience.Apartment in Prague by ATELIER 111 architekti s.r.o., Prague, Czechia | Photo by Veronika RaffajovHowever, adaptability shouldnt mean moving things around all the time. It should also consider where things go when not in use. Thats where storage and, even better, hidden storage becomes essential. Not only is it comforting for an owner to know their personal belongings can be hidden away safely, but having dedicated places for things keeps the mess at bay a place for everything leaves no ambiguity for where something should go. Built-in storage solutions like floor-to-ceiling cabinets, false-backed wardrobes, pull-out shelves and even under-bed storage are lifesavers in spaces that need to accommodate a steady flow of people. When not in use, these features virtually disappear, keeping the home sleek and tidy.Finally, when seeking out a property with the idea of turning it into a short-term rental, considering what the building itself brings to the table can lead to offering something special. Properties that come with built-in character add intrigue without additional stuff. Exposed beams, decorative cornices, or feature doorways do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of visual appeal. These features create focal points and add texture to a room without the need for excessive dcor. Dont underestimate the power of decorative tiles. Whether its in the kitchen or bathroom, tiles with intricate patterns or bold colors can give a property personality. In older properties, keeping or restoring original tilework can add a sense of history and craftsmanship thats difficult to replicate.Ka-Ma-Ra by Z-LEVEL architecture, Greece | Photos by Mariana BistiBy focusing on the structural features of a building things that are part of its very fabric not only is value added to the property, but also a lot of headaches can be avoided. Decorative items become targets for wear and tear, or worse, they mysteriously disappear into the luggage of a departing guest. So, by leaning on the structure to be the decoration, the chances of issues arising become much less. The not-so-honest guest would find it significantly more difficult to pop a 100-year-old oak door in their suitcase than a hand-woven throw. The fewer personal items or accessories, the less likely things are to be damaged or stolen. Meaning guests get to enjoy a space that feels thoughtfully curated, and owners have the peace of mind knowing they dont need to constantly replace decorations or worry about clutter.The latest edition of Architizer: The Worlds Best Architecture a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe is now available. Order your copy today.Title image: Meditation Duplex by Sim-Plex Design Studio, Hong Kong. Photograph by Patrick Lam | The projects in this article, although not expressly designed to function as both homes and AirBnbs, offer vivid examples of the concepts discussed in this article.The post Designing for Airbnb: Crafting Spaces That Adapt and Endure appeared first on Journal.

For over a decade, Architizers A+Awards have been championing architectural excellence worldwide. This year, the program celebrates local innovation with global recognition. Click to enter before the Main Entry Deadline on Friday December 6th.Although the sheer size of Chengdus 38 million-person population conjures images of highly urban topography, in reality, the nickname of Sichuans capital city is revealing: The Garden City at the Foot of the Snow Mountains. Bordered by the Longmen Mountains in the northwest and the Qionglai Mountains due directly west, the city bursts with bamboo-laden green spaces and set in a region smattered with lakes. These geographic features have played a decisive role in the citys architectural growth, as exemplified in the iconic warm, red geological profile of the stunning building that will host Architizers 2024 A+Awards Gala on November 21st, 2024.Designed by Antoine Predock Architects, LUXELAKES The Water Theater stands out for its mix of iconic red bush hammered concrete, all-glass structural glazing system, and regionally sourced granite and bronze cladding. Taken together with its highly complex massing the building varies from one floor to nine the design appears like a geological formation rising alongside the lake and merging with the hillside. Drawing from Chinese culture, Sichuans landscape, the sites agricultural history and the demands of a new city, the building could not be a more fitting venue for this years gala, hosted in partnership with LUXELAKES A8 Design Center.The building perfectly encapsulates the theme of the 13th Annual A+Awards: celebrating architecture that balances local innovation with global vision. The current A+Awards program is inviting entries through December 6th, 2024, with global recognition and international publication on offer for the winners. Get your entry started here:Start SubmissionArchitizers Managing Editor Hannah Feniak sat down with Antoine Predock Architects Executive Senior Associate, Paul Fehlau, to discuss the process for designing a contextual masterpiece in a country and culture on the other side of the world. Introducing the concept of portable regionalism, he reflected on the legacy of the firms founder and the LUXELAKES The Water Theater in Chengdu. LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaHannah Feniak: Architizers A+Awards gala will take place at LUXELAKES The Water Theater on November 21st, 2024, just one decade after work on the project began. Reflecting back, how do you feel about the project, and where does it sit for you in the context of your firms wider work?Paul Fehlau: The project holds a very special place in our firms history. It was our first completed project in China and a very special design for a very special and engaged client. The client wanted to set the tone for their Luxe Lakes development with the Gateway Arts Center and they allowed us broad design latitude to engage the site entry and waterfront. The clients also supported the design with high quality materials and construction. The building achieved a sense of timelessness and we continue to be proud of the enduring beauty of the project. LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaModels from the projects design process reveal how the building was, from the beginning, conceived as part of the hilly topography surrounding the lake. The design also draws from Chinese culture, Sichuans landscape and the sites agricultural history. As an American firm, what were the challenges of designing a highly contextual project from halfway around the world?As Antoine always said, our regionalism is portable. He began his design practice here in the High Desert of New Mexico. It is a harsh climate with a deep natural and cultural history. It is not possible to work here successfully without taking these aspects in to account. Antoine built his practice on the principal of listening that is listening to the land, to geologic and cultural history, to the dreams and desires of his clients, to the climate and any significant aspects of a project and site.We carefully consider and catalog all of these understandings before launching any design process. This practice allows us to design structures that resonate with landforms and people far from our home. Our design practice was built on a place, a region, but the they way of interfacing with a people and a place are applicable to a wide variety of projects. Therefore portable regionalism. Antoines desire to have a very specific understanding of each client, place and project explains the reason that no two Predock designs look the same. LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaThe building is massive, enclosing a total of 250,000 square feet, with volumes ranging from one floor to nine floors, with highly accessible roofs with pathways, plazas and areas of greenery open to the public. What were the challenges of taking such a complex design from concept to reality?The program for the new structure was more of a joy than a challenge. The clients encompassing vision for the new building gave us as designers so much to work with it was an embarrassment of riches from a designers point to view. As you may know, the initial design for the program and building was quite a bit bigger than the building you see today. One big challenge was a change to the infrastructure in the luxe lake region during the early construction process. The design had to be adapted to these new constraints during construction. Thanks to the efforts of the client, contractor and local team one is unable to see that the building was significantly changed at this late stage. LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaIn addition to its uniquely varied massing, the buildings warm materiality stands out. Which materials and building products are central to the project, and why were they chosen?The key material for the project is the bush hammered concrete. The color is derived directly from soil on the site. The hand bush hammering technique resulted in a beautifully variegated surface recalling natural sandstone formations around Luxe Lakes. Other important materials include the green roofs which blend the building into adjacent landforms. The cast bronze panels on the tower with their deep cultural resonance. And the polished stainless steel knife edges that soften the leading edge of the building and bring reflections of water and light into the structure.Which details in LUXELAKES The Water Theatre are you particularly proud of and why?The way the building embraces the lake and gently and informally terraces down to the water, creating pockets where guests can gather to chat, eat and experience the waterfront. The waterfront experience was always an important part of the design. But the actual experience is better than we could have imagined. LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaWhat has the public reaction to the project been like?We have gotten a lot of very positive feedback from clients and visitors. I often get emails and texts from other designers who are visiting Chengdu and come across the building. It is a building that photographs well, but the photographs do not do the building justice. You really need to experience the space to get the full impact. And I often hear that people have been blown away by a visit to the center.In the ten years since you took on this project, Chengdu has grown and changed as a city (as has the contemporary design landscape in China more broadly). How do you view this evolution in relation to your work on LUXELAKES The Water Theater?I havent been back to Chengdu in a few years but the last time I was at Luxe Lakes it was very rewarding to see the way the city had reached out to Luxe Lakes in the intervening years. It was also rewarding to see the way that Luxe Lakes has evolved and thrived with so many new and innovative structures on the waterfront. Chengdu, from my first visit, was an amazingly beautiful and engaging place and its been very rewarding to play a small part in the evolution of this important city. LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaFinally, the theme of the 13th Annual A+Awards celebrates the way that architects are mediating between the industrys global reach while responding to projects highly local needs. The landscape of New Mexico famously inspired the late Antoine Predock, but projects such as LUXELAKES The Water Theatre demonstrate his sensitivity to local context on a global scale. As your firm looks ahead, how do you plan to carry his legacy forward?During his lifetime, Antoine design process considered land, climate, energy, culture and time within architecture. He never intended that his process would create a static results but instead would inspire design experimentation rooted in site, climate and humanity. Antoine was always carful to acknowledge that we has humans only have a limited time and experience in the small band between earth and sky and that we need to use our time to make peoples lives richer. In honoring Antoines legacy we continue his experimental design practice focused on site and culturally specific design. For over a decade, Architizers A+Awards have been championing architectural excellence worldwide. This year, the program celebrates local innovation with global recognition. Click to enter before the Main Entry Deadline on Friday December 6th.The post Our Regionalism Is Portable: Antoine Predock Architects on Designing Contextually Across the Globe appeared first on Journal.

Architectural visualization is evolving faster than ever, integrating new technologies that empower designers to communicate ideas with more precision, realism and creativity in the coming years. To capture the current landscape and explore future possibilities, Architizer and Chaos are conducting a comprehensive global survey, gathering insights from professionals like you.We invite you to participate in The State of Architectural Visualization Survey 2024-25. This survey will gather your experiences, opinions and challenges in architectural visualization, providing a valuable picture of the industry today and where its heading.One lucky respondent will win a $500 Amazon gift card as a token of our appreciation. The survey is open until midnight ET on Wednesday, November 27, and takes only a few minutes to complete.Take the SurveyWhat Will the Survey Cover?This years survey dives deep into essential areas that define and drive the future of architectural visualization. From sustainability tools to the impact of artificial intelligence, this expanded survey will provide an understanding of how visualization technologies are being implemented and where theyre likely to lead us next. Heres a preview of what the survey will explore:Sustainability Tools: How is the industry adapting visualization techniques to support sustainable design practices?Artificial Intelligence (AI): How are AI tools being integrated into ArchViz workflows, and what is their impact on productivity and creativity?Real-Time Rendering: Which tools and techniques are you using for real-time visualization, and how do they augment your design process?Challenges in ArchViz: What are the primary obstacles faced by architectural visualizers, from budget constraints to technological limitations?At the end of the survey, there is also an opportunity to tell us your personal views on rendering technology and the ArchViz industry as a whole, providing you with a platform to share your ideas, concerns and knowledge directly with our editorial team.Share Your InsightsWhy Your Participate MattersBy participating in this survey, youll be a part of gain valuable insights into the practices, benchmarks and trends in architectural visualization. The findings will be shared with survey respondents in an in-depth white paper, giving you access to data that can help improve your knowledge of this fast-evolving industry.Additionally, one participant will be selected at random to win a $500 Amazon gift card a great opportunity to invest in resources or reward yourself for your contributions to the profession!We encourage you to share this survey with colleagues and peers, as gathering a wide range of responses will enhance the depth of insights we can provide about the present and future of architectural visualization.Join the SurveyHow to Be a Part of this Years SurveyParticipating in The State of Architectural Visualization Survey 2024-25 is simple. Click here to start the survey, follow the questions through to the end of the form and then click Finish to confirm your submission. Your responses will contribute to a deeper understanding of the industry, helping to shape the next generation of architectural visualization tools and practices.Thank you for your dedication to advancing architectural visualization your insights are invaluable in shaping the future of this essential field!Take the SurveyDisclaimer: The survey is organized in partnership with Chaos, which will provide the $500 Amazon gift card to one randomly selected respondent. Participants must comply with the surveys terms and conditions to be eligible for the prize.All images courtesy of Chaos.The post The Art of Rendering: Take Our New ArchViz Survey and Win a $500 Amazon Gift Card! appeared first on Journal.

Ema is a trained architect, writer and photographer whoworks as a Junior Architectat REX in NYC. Inspired by her global experiences, she shares captivating insights into the worlds most extraordinary cities and buildings and provides travel tips on her blog,The Travel Album.Architecture, by its nature, is in constant conversation with the environment. While buildings are often designed with longevity and permanence in mind, they interact with changing seasons in profound ways. Winter, with its snow, ice and frozen landscapes, temporarily alters not only the physical appearance of structures but also how we experience them. Snow-covered faades and ice-dappled surfaces add new dimensions to architecture, highlighting elements that may otherwise go unnoticed and creating ephemeral beauty that transforms landmarks.With the winter season quickly approaching, I want to explore and highlight how seasonal elements like snow and ice reshape the perception and experience of iconic architectural works, from urban landmarks to remote structures. Perhaps the next time youre walking through snow and ice, you might find yourself noticing something new about the architecture around you details that might have gone unnoticed in any other season.Snow as a Visual Cloak: Shifting Perception of FormsYabuli Entrepreneurs Congress Centerby MAD Architects, Shangzhi, Harbin, China Weve all had those winter moments when, looking into the distance, we catch only the faint outline of a building, softened by a blanket of snow. Snow transforms the appearance of architectural structures, softening edges, blurring lines and muting colors. Faades that appear sharp and rigid throughout the year take on new qualities as snow settles into grooves, ledges and roofs. This shift creates an ephemeral beauty that emphasizes forms and textures that might otherwise go unnoticed. In architectural terms, snow functions as an overlay a temporary material that interacts with existing forms, revealing how buildings respond to their environment. Architectural lines become more fluid and patterns of accumulation highlight surfaces in new ways. This visual shift draws attention to subtleties like eaves, ledges and cornices, which might seem less significant during other seasons.Additionally, winters muted color palette dominated by whites, grays and soft blues heightens our awareness of form and structure. Buildings set against a snowy backdrop appear isolated and sculptural, allowing their forms to stand in stark relief. The minimalism of a snow-covered landscape amplifies architectures presence, making even the most familiar buildings feel new and distinct.Reflections in Frozen Landscapes and the Role of LightNorwegian National Opera and Balletby Snhetta, Oslo, NorwayWinter introduces unique lighting conditions that change how we perceive architectural landmarks. The low angle of the sun in winter casts long shadows and creates dramatic contrasts, enhancing textures and surfaces. Snow and ice further amplify this effect by reflecting natural light, creating a glow that brightens even the darkest days. Snow also introduces a reflective element to the landscape, mirroring architectural forms on frozen surfaces like lakes, ponds and plazas. These reflections create a sense of symmetry and depth, enhancing the spatial experience of buildings. The interplay between light, shadow and reflection transforms architecture into something more dynamic, shifting throughout the day and season.One of my favorite examples of an iconic landmark that both captivates and shifts perception (in all seasons, especially the winter season) is the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. The building itself evokes the image of an iceberg, with its base seamlessly blending into the adjacent water. When the water freezes, it appears as if the structure extends directly into the ice. The opera houses white faade, when covered in snow, softens its sharp geometric edges, creating a striking contrast that makes the expansive blue glass surfaces stand out even more vividly against the surrounding whiteness. Interior spaces also benefit from these seasonal lighting effects. Large windows or glass faades allow diffused winter light to enter, creating soft, ambient lighting that enhances the atmosphere within. This interaction between light and architecture adds warmth to spaces, inviting people to linger indoors and engage with their surroundings.Architectural Challenges: Snow Loads and Structural StressX HOUSEby Monk Mackenzie, Queenstown, New ZealandWhile snow and ice introduce aesthetic transformations, they also impose significant structural challenges. Architects and engineers must carefully consider snow loads and the impact of freezing temperatures on materials during the design process. Heavy snowfall can accumulate on roofs, creating stress that requires specific engineering solutions to ensure safety and stability.Buildings in regions prone to harsh winters are designed to shed snow efficiently through sloped roofs, drainage systems and heat-tracing cables. Flat roofs, common in urban environments, must be reinforced to handle the added weight of snow. Snow loads can also affect faades, requiring durable materials that withstand the freeze-thaw cycle to prevent cracking or deterioration. This aspect of architectural design highlights the importance of adaptability. Successful winter architecture balances aesthetics with function, ensuring that buildings remain both visually appealing and structurally sound during seasonal changes.Sensory Experience: How Winter Changes the Way We Engage With SpaceFleinvr Refugium Gildeskl Municipalityby Rintala Eggertsson Architects, Nordland, NorwayWinter doesnt just transform architecture visually; it also alters how we experience and interact with spaces. Snow muffles sound, creating a sense of quiet and calm that changes the ambiance of public spaces and plazas. The absence of bustling noise can make even the busiest urban areas feel more serene, allowing people to experience architecture in a more reflective and intimate way. The tactile qualities of winter like the crunch of snow underfoot or the cold touch of metal surfaces also influence how we move through spaces. People tend to slow down, tread carefully and seek out warm, sheltered areas. This shift in movement encourages a different kind of engagement with architecture, as we become more aware of our surroundings and how we interact with them.Winter architecture often carries a deeper emotional significance, providing spaces of refuge and warmth during cold and dark months. Well-designed winter architecture fosters a sense of coziness and connection, encouraging people to gather indoors and engage with their environments more intentionally. The sense of warmth plays a crucial role in this experience. Fireplaces, radiant heating and warm materials such as wood and textiles become central features of winter spaces, transforming interiors into sanctuaries from the cold. This interplay between indoor and outdoor environments enhances the sensory experience of architecture, encouraging people to explore how design responds to seasonal needs. Winter architecture becomes a tool for creating spaces that nurture the soul, offering both physical warmth and psychological comfort.The Ephemeral Beauty of Temporary StructuresSkli by Utopia ArkitekterIn the winter, architecture takes on an ephemeral quality, embracing the fleeting nature of the season. Temporary structures like ice hotels, snow pavilions and seasonal markets highlight the impermanence of winter architecture. These spaces are designed to exist only for a short period, relying on snow and ice as primary materials, which naturally dissolve with the changing seasons. These temporary structures challenge conventional ideas of architecture as a permanent fixture. They invite us to experience space in new ways, emphasizing the relationship between design, nature and time. The very act of constructing and dismantling these spaces mirrors the rhythm of the seasons, offering a unique perspective on how architecture can respond to environmental cycles.The Seasonal Dance Between Snow and StructureWinter transforms architecture in ways that go beyond aesthetics, reshaping how we perceive, experience and engage with the built environment. Snow and ice alter the visual character of structures, creating new opportunities for reflection and discovery. Seasonal lighting and sensory changes influence how we move through and interact with spaces, inviting us to explore architecture in a more deliberate and thoughtful way. While winter introduces challenges such as snow loads and material stress, it also inspires innovation and adaptability in architectural design. Temporary structures made of snow and ice celebrate the impermanence of the season, reminding us that architecture, like nature, is in constant flux.Ultimately, the interaction between snow and structure offers a profound lesson: architecture is not static but dynamic, shaped by the rhythms of the environment. As we experience the fleeting beauty of winter, we are reminded of the importance of creating spaces that respond to seasonal change places that not only shelter us but also inspire us throughout the year.Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!The post Structures Sculpted by Snow: Natures Seasonal Dance With Architecture appeared first on Journal.

These annual rankings were last updated on November 7, 2024. Want to see your firm on next years list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studios ranking.Nowadays, Swedish architectural design often goes hand in hand with IKEA. Still, the design of modular furniture, which has undeniably revolutionised the way people set up the interior of their homes, is not this countrys only architectural breakthrough. Since the early 20th century, Sweden has pioneered in combining artistry and aesthetics with functionality and human comfort.The countrys contemporary signature architecture usually adopts a minimal approach to design, the use of wood the countrys most popular and locally sourced material and the creation of almost ethereal spaces filled with natural light. Projects such as the Turning Torso in Malm and The Sauna in Frihamnen, Gothenburg, are some of the most iconic and unconventional architectural landmarks in the country. Admittedly, Sweden is one of the few countries that has recontextualized to a large extent the modernist movement in order to reflect its distinctive cultural, ecological and social features. Through their designs, architects have managed to soften the harsh lines and sharp corners of traditional Modernism and reinvent their own architectural Swedish-modern expression.With so many architecture firms to choose from, its challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Sweden based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.How are these architecture firms ranked?The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firms level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firms ranking, in order of priority:The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Project of the Day (2009 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Featured Project (2009 to 2024)The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Sweden architecture firms throughout the year.Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Sweden:30. pS Arkitektur pS ArkitekturpS Arkitektur works with projects ranging from commercial interiors to private houses and urban planning. Our vision is to create unique buildings, interiors and environments that make an emotional and visual impression. Our motto is architecture that makes a difference.We challenge the obvious solutions and aesthetics in favor of creating something unique, derived from the companys identity and our clients dreams. Our office interiors and refurbishments enhance the clients brand identity and business opportunities. Architecture and design is a means of market positioning, creating far reaching values for our clients. We define the goals and demands so that the design will be an efficient tool and identity bearer.Some of pS Arkitekturs most prominent projects include:Villa Blbr, Stockholm, SwedenSkype Office, Stockholm, SwedenHSB, Stockholm, SwedenRedBull Sweden, Stockholm, SwedenTrustly, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped pS Arkitektur achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 7 29. Max Holst Arkitektkontor Max Holst ArkitektkontorMax Holst studied architecture at the School of Architecture, Lund University, UPC in Barcelona and ETH in Zrich and has extensive international experience with positions at architectural firms in europe and the US. He mainly gained his architectural experience in the practice of Rafael Moneo but has also worked for Behnisch & Partner in Stuttgart, Germany, Campi & Pessina in Lugano, Switzerland and for Thomas Sandell in Stockholm, Sweden before openeing his own practice in 2001. In 2004 he became partners with Roger Spetz and together they formed Spetz & Holst Arkitekter who where active until 2012.Some of Max Holst Arkitektkontors most prominent projects include:Holiday House Vind, Stockholm, SwedenTorsby I, Stockholm, SwedenTorsby II, Stockholm, SwedenBaskemlla, Simrishamn, SwedenVilla Kugelberg Orminge, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped Max Holst Arkitektkontor achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 8 28. Griab GriabGriab was founded in 1957 in Helsingborg by Gsta Gottschalk and was originally an engineering firm specializing in building construction and land planning. In 2006, the company expanded with a dedicated architectural department.We work closely with our clients from the conceptual stage to the operational phase, often taking on the role of project managers. This has resulted in many long-lasting relationships and allowed us to build uniquely broad expertise for a company of our type. Through many years of close collaboration with designers from other technical fields, our services can be expanded and adapted to meet most needs and requests.Some of Griabs most prominent projects include:Villa Skret, Helsingborg, SwedenRosmarinen residential area, Helsingborg, SwedenKVV 2012, Landskrona, SwedenLandskrona Energi, Landskrona, SwedenHgans-Bjuf, Bjuv, Sweden The following statistics helped Griab achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 9 27. Belatchew Arkitekter Belatchew Arkitekter ABBelatchew Arkitekter is an architectural firm working within a wide range of projects, from urban planning and housing to offices and retail. The work of the office is idea driven with an aim to find unexpected solutions that enhance the potential of a site and add value to real estate. Belatchew Arkitekter follows the global development on sustainability and consider it our mission to integrate sustainable solutions in all our projects.Some of Belatchew Arkitekters most prominent projects include:Discus, Stockholm, SwedenInsectCity, Stockholm, SwedenStrawscraper, Stockholm, SwedenTensta Torn, Stockholm, SwedenNorra Djurgrdsstaden, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped Belatchew Arkitekter AB achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 14 26. Norell/Rodhe Norell/RodheNorell/Rodhe is a Stockholm based architecture studio founded by Daniel Norell and Einar Rodhe. The design focuses around strong conceptual gestures, mainly for public buildings.Some of Norell/Rodhes most prominent projects include:H C Andersen Museum, Odense, DenmarkLill-Valla Park, Linkping, SwedenLive-Make Industrial Arts Centre, Cincinnati, OhioErratic, Helsinki, FinlandTwo-Face Furniture The following statistics helped Norell/Rodhe achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Finalist 1 Total Projects 6 25. Frstberg Ling Frstberg LingFrstberg Ling is an office for architecture and design established in 2015 and based in Malm, Sweden. Were interested in projects ranging from small interiors and furniture to larger buildings, always with a focus on detailing and materiality.Some of Frstberg Lings most prominent projects include:F003 House for Mother, Linkping, SwedenFL014 X, Sweden The following statistics helped Frstberg Ling achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 24. Kaminsky ArkitekturKaminsky Arkitektur is an architecture firm based in Stockholm and Gteborg, Sweden. We work with architecture in its broadest meaning ranging from furniture to city planning, from theory to practice.Some of Kaminsky Arkitekturs most prominent projects include:Kolla School, Kungsbacka, Swedenijared Resort, Floda, Sweden The following statistics helped Kaminsky Arkitektur achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 23. Mikael Bergquist Arkitektkontor ke E:son LindmanMikael Bergquist is an architect SAR/MSA with a degree from KTH, Stockholm and the Art Academy, Copenhagen. He has been running his own office in Stockholm since 1996 and works with projects for companies, government agencies and private individuals. He is also a freelance editor for the magazine Arkitektur, 1996-2002 as well as a curator and editor for a number of exhibitions and books. Finally, he is a guest critic and lecturer at various schools of architecture and teaches Master studio at KTH-A in Stockholm.Some of Mikael Bergquist Arkitektkontors most prominent projects include:Summer House M, Vstra Gtaland County, SwedenHouse at lake Bven, Sweden The following statistics helped Mikael Bergquist Arkitektkontor achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 22. ARRHOV FRICK ARKITEKTKONTOR Mikael OlssonThe office was founded in 2010 in Stockholm by Johan Arrhov (1979) and Henrik Frick (1977). In 2017 Carlos Nieto (1977) became a collaborating partner. Working with a diversity of projects, the ambition is to create architecture that makes life better for the people. We believe architecture should be simple to construct and easy to maintain. A building should be pleasant to live in and to discover.The architecture is often reduced to its fundamentals, emphasizing ideological and programmatic simplicity through a focus on function, structural economy and construction logic. Many of the projects support flexible infrastructures that are capable of future iterations and uses, encouraging sustainability and longevity in the building industry.Some of ARRHOV FRICK ARKITEKTKONTORs most prominent projects include:VIGGS, Vaxholm, SwedenSix Walls House, Nacka, SwedenHAMMARBY GRD, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped ARRHOV FRICK ARKITEKTKONTOR achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 21. Metropolis Arkitekter Metropolis ArkitekterWe take advantage of the ornamental potential of necessities. Its the natural attitude of arts and crafts, whether its about knitting a sweater or building a house. Beauty occurs as a consequence of the work. The building tradition is our inspiration. We want to maintain the attitude of traditional construction in such a way that we always seek the simplest and most logical way of building. Building components and assemblies are often clearly declared. The traditional building is its own manual, see and imitate, it says, then it will be good.Some of Metropolis Arkitekters most prominent projects include:Villa JJ, Stockholm County, SwedenVilla Graham, Stockholm County, SwedenSauna, Smdalar, Stockholm County, Sweden The following statistics helped Metropolis Arkitekter achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 20. Hermansson Hiller Lundberg Arkitekter Hermansson Hiller Lundberg ArkitekterHermansson Hiller Lundberg creates architecture with presence, character and complexity. Our projects encompass apartment buildings, hotels, nursing homes, offices and private houses. In our work we combine an interest in the basic values of architecture with an engaged attitude to context, programme and building process.Some of Hermansson Hiller Lundberg Arkitekters most prominent projects include:House Myttinge, Vrmd, Stockholm County, SwedenHouse Norrns, Vrmd, Sweden The following statistics helped Hermansson Hiller Lundberg Arkitekter achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 19. Karin Matz Arkitekt Francesco Di GregorioKarin Matz is an architect from Stockholm, Sweden. His architectural practice is centered mostly around residential architecture and interior design.Some of Karin Matz Arkitekts most prominent projects include:HB6B One Home, Stockholm, SwedenFhr, Alkersum, GermanyTiles and Concrete, Parma, Italy The following statistics helped Karin Matz Arkitekt achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 3 18. Elding Oscarson ke E:son LindmanELDING OSCARSON is a recently started office run by Johan Oscarson and Jonas Elding. The collective experience is covering both Swedish and international architecture, from museums to private houses, interiors, furniture and product design. Jonas Elding was an associate at Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA), Tokyo, for seven years, in charge of the design for the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. Johan Oscarson was an associate at Sandellsandberg, Stockholm, for 7 years, in charge of the designs for Villa Nilsson and the interior for the OMX headquarters. Our aim is to challenge a variety of architecture and design tasks and by means of a solid process find new solutions, ways to live or atmospheric qualities.Some of Elding Oscarsons most prominent projects include:The Townhouse, Landskrona, SwedenNo PicnicOktavillaMlle by the Sea, Mlle, Sweden The following statistics helped Elding Oscarson achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 4 17. Jonas Lindvall A & D AIX ArkitekterJonas Lindvall was educated as an interior architect in Gothenburg, Sweden and studied furniture design at the Royal College of Art in London and architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen. Upon completing his studies he returned to his hometown, Malm, where he opened his own office. As an architect, Jonas has created villas, hotels, restaurants and more recently, church interiors. As a designer, Lindvalls portfolio is equally diverse, ranging from furniture and lighting, to kitchens and bathrooms.An exponent of traditional craftsmanship, Jonas Lindvall creates new classics that reflect a spirit of modernity, whilst maintaining a profound respect for skills and techniques of the past. This is a theme that is inherent throughout his work, and comes from a tireless curiosity and a passion for history.Some of Jonas Lindvall A & Ds most prominent projects include:Villa J2, SwedenVilla N1, SwedenStrandsnckanHouse L1, Malm, SwedenBrf Leanderklockan, Ystad, Sweden The following statistics helped Jonas Lindvall A & D achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 5 16. AIX Arkitekter AIX ArkitekterAIX Arkitekter is an architectural bureau with extensive knowledge and experience. Our company has a solid framework, which embraces knowledge-sharing and efficient resource management. It also enriches our professional life and ensures the best possible outcome for our clients. We have a staff of 100 people, most of whom are architects, but there are also interior designers, engineers, planning architects, antiquarians, theatre consultants and lighting designers, finance staff and IT technicians. We focus on three main areas: city planning, new construction and renovation / restoration. Our urban planning commissions include visionary design proposals for major areas and master planning of properties and entire neighborhoods.Some of AIX Arkitekters most prominent projects include:Kata Farm, Varnhem, SwedenSustainability House, KTH, Stockholm, SwedenRoyal College of Music, Stockholm, SwedenUppsala University Main Building, Uppsala, SwedenVasatornet, Linkping, Sweden The following statistics helped AIX Arkitekter achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 14 15. Olsson Lyckefors Arkitektur Olsson Lyckefors ArkitekturOlsson Lyckefors Arkitektur, formerly known as Bornstein Lyckefors Arkitekter, is a Sweden-based architectural office founded by Per Bornstein and Andreas Lyckefors in Gothenburg in 2011. Johan Olsson has been a partner since 2012. The company opened a studio in Stockholm in 2018. At present, Olsson Lyckefors employs 34 architects, interior designers, students and staff members in Gothenburg and Stockholm.The office is engaged in a broad spectrum of projects ranging from research studies to architecture and interior design for private, corporate, and public clients. Olsson Lyckefors uses contemporary digital tools and traditional methods in every phase of design development from early sketches to finished buildings.Some of Olsson Lyckefors Arkitekturs most prominent projects include:Krdla City Pavilion, EstoniaSpckhuggaren / House for a drummer, Krna, Swedenjersj, jersj, Vstra Gtaland County, SwedenKokillen The following statistics helped Olsson Lyckefors Arkitektur achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 4 14. Studio Richard Lindvall Studio Richard LindvallRichard Lindvall is a Stockholm based designer predominantly working with interior design and concept direction, but also within a number of creative fields such as photography, publication and graphic design. Striving to always make his projects completely unique, Richard also designs furniture and decor that is incorporated into each of his interior projects.Richard is simultaneously driven by functionality and aesthetics, resulting in spaces that are at the same time spectacular and minimalist, exclusive but welcoming. This approach has given his work international attention in numerous publications such as Wallpaper, Frame, Dezeen, Vogue and Elle Decoration, as well as won prestigious awards such as the World Interiors News award in the category Restaurant Interiors for Restaurant & Bar Nazdrowje, and honourable finalist space in Wallpaper design awards, Architizers A+Awards.Some of Studio Richard Lindvalls most prominent projects include:Restaurant & Bar Nazdrowje, Stockholm, SwedenUSINE, Stockholm, SwedenGold & Gray Apartment, Stockholm, SwedenRestaurant Museet, Stockholm, SwedenOutside shower, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped Studio Richard Lindvall achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 9 13. DinellJohansson ke E:son LindmanWe have extensive experience from projects of all sizes and stages. We love leading the creative process that every building project entails. We involve our clients in close and fruitful collaboration. We are unpretentious, curious, and quick. We have a vast network ranging from well-established artists to the countrys best technical consultants, and we have a growing team of exceptionally dedicated and experienced architects. In every project, big or small, there are hidden values. It is our belief that the right analysis and committed collaboration unlocks these values and elevates a project beyond expectations.Some of DinellJohanssons most prominent projects include:Lidingvallen, Kyrkvgen, Liding, SwedenHAMRA, SwedenPalladio Strandbaden, Hgans, SwedenPlus Two, Stockholm, SwedenThe Bank Palace, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped DinellJohansson achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 12 12. Erik Andersson Architects Erik Andersson ArchitectsErik Andersson Architects is a Stockholm based studio practicing contemporary architecture and infrastructure. The scope of its work includes the design of bridges, buildings, interiors and products. There is also a strong interest in art spaces and exhibition design. The work of Erik Andersson Architects has won several international awards including twice the European Steel Design Awards, the Swedish Steel Prize 2003 and 2013, finalist FX Awards, nomination for the Best building in Sweden 2003. Erik Andersson was nominated for the Kasper Salin Prize 2013.Some of Erik Andersson Architects most prominent projects include:The Tullhus Bridge, Norrkping, SwedenBridge over Kalix River, SwedenPlatinum bridge Tullhusbron, Stockholm, SwedenVilla Wallin, Stockholm, SwedenRV 73, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped Erik Andersson Architects achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 8 11. Studio Stockholm Studio StockholmStudio Stockholm is an award-winning architecture firm that works on projects of all sizes. Our business model is simple: We strive to be the best partner when it comes to understanding and developing our clients businesses. That is what motivates us combining creative excellence with a business understanding and thereby developing value-added end products for our clients. We are there for our clients as an advisor and a partner throughout the entire journey, from creating a strategy and a creative concept to performing an evaluation and following-up.Some of Studio Stockholms most prominent projects include:3 Sweden, Stockholm, SwedenWorld of Klarna , Stockholm, SwedenDICE, Stockholm, SwedenThe Pavilion, Stockholm, SwedenSynsam Flagship Store, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped Studio Stockholm achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 5 10. Murman arkitekter Murman arkitekter ABMurman Arkitekter AB was established in 1985 and today has a staff of 30 architects and interior designers. We work with office, retail and residential projects, with an emphasis on performing both architectural and interior design. In 2009 we won the 1St price in Category Holiday at the World architectural festival in Barcelona with Restaurant Tusen in Ramundberget, Sweden. In 2009 we also won the 1St price with a Military museum in Karlstad, Sweden (Infanteribrigadmuseum) and in 2006 we won the 1St price in an architectural competition about a new building for the Swedish Smi parliament in the northern Sweden.We strive to create structures and spaces with strong individual identities and just like people buildings derive much of their identity from their physical surroundings and social context.Some of Murman arkitekters most prominent projects include:Villa Sunnano, Sunnan, SwedenJuniper house, SwedenMountain Restaurant Bjrk, Hemavan, SwedenPaf land, land IslandsTusen Restaurant, Ramundberget, Sweden The following statistics helped Murman arkitekter AB achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 6 9. Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture ABKjellgren Kaminsky Architecture is an award winning architecture firm based in Gteborg, Sweden. We work with architecture in its broadest meaning ranging from furniture to city planning, from theory to practice.Some of Kjellgren Kaminsky Architectures most prominent projects include:PASSIVE TOWNHOUSES IN VALLASTADEN, Linkping, SwedenLecor, Kunglv, SwedenVilla Nyberg, Borlnge, SwedenMirage, Falsterbo, SwedenIJARED HOTEL, Floda, Sweden The following statistics helped Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture AB achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 9 8. Kanozi Arkitekter Felix GerlachKanozi Arkitekter is an architecture and design firm that was founded in 2001 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Today we are an international team of over 60 creative minds devoted to creating value-driven design solutions that help to build a better future. From our studios in Gothenburg, Malm and Stockholm, we apply our knowledge and expertise to projects throughout Sweden and across the globe.Some of Kanozi Arkitekters most prominent projects include:Villa Agnes, SwedenResecentrum Amhult , SwedenVilla Lovisa, Sr, SwedenSjustjrnan, New Nordic Headquarters for E.On, Malm, SwedenVilla Frida, Hovs, Sweden The following statistics helped Kanozi Arkitekter achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 37 7. White arkitekterPhoto Wojtek Gurak - White arkitekter ABWhite is Scandinavias leading architectural practice and amongst the ten largest in Europe, with 500 employees in ten offices in Sweden and Denmark.Our mission is to better understand clients and stakeholders and present them with world class solutions in urban planning, architecture and design. As pioneers in the environmental field, we are now industry leaders in sustainable architecture and urban design.We can handle a project through every stage from conception to post-completion, and we have qualified expertise in urban planning, project management, sustainability, landscape, interior design, housing, education, healthcare, commercial, culture and leisure.Some of White arkitekters most prominent projects include:Ume School of Architecture, Ume, SwedenPlatinum bridge Tullhusbron Stockholm, Stockholm, SwedenStockholm Waterfront, Stockholm, SwedenOctapharma Brewery , Stockholm, SwedenSouthend Pier, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom The following statistics helped White arkitekter AB achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 13 6. Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)UMA is an adventurous practice that deals with art and architecture, often in a combination where we create things that have the best of both disciplines: structure and rationality from architecture and playfulness and punk from art.Some of Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)s most prominent projects include:Fire House, Stockholm, SwedenCone Hut, SwedenSnowball Hut, SwedenOne Tree Four Seasons, Turinge, Nykvarn, SwedenLeaf Hut, verjrna, Jrna, Sweden The following statistics helped Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 9 5. Wingrdh Arkitektkontor Wingrdh Arkitektkontor ABWingrdhs is a Swedish enterprise, specialized in architecture, urban planning, interior design and landscape planning. Gert Wingrdh, architect SAR/MSA and CEO, is the companys founder and owner. The office is today among the five largest architect groups in Sweden, and among the ten largest in the Nordic Region. This falls well in line with the target set in the offices general objectives that we must be one of Scandinavias leading architecture firms. Wingrdhs has been operating in Gothenburg since 1977, in Stockholm since 1985 and in Malm since 2011. We employ 50/50 women in our 150+ staff, architects, interior designers, constructional engineers, visualisers, data technicians, model makers, a spatial planner, an architectural historian, administrators and trainees.Some of Wingrdh Arkitektkontors most prominent projects include:Emporia, Malm, SwedenKuggen, Gothenburg, SwedenVictoria TowerThe Mill House, Skane County, SwedenSpira Performing Arts Center, Jnkping, Sweden The following statistics helped Wingrdh Arkitektkontor AB achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 13 4. GIPP arkitektur GIPP arkitekturGIPP arkitektur sets out to create architecture by thoughtfully interpreting both the needs of an individual client and the specific characteristics of a site. In order to achieve an architectural whole, we believe that in depth studies of flows as well as of spatial and structural relationships are essential. In each individual project, everything, down to the design of details and the choice of materials, relates back to a main concept. In order to achieve an architectonic design solution which is both financial and sustainable, every project is developed in close dialogue with the client as well as with the builders and suppliers.Some of GIPP arkitekturs most prominent projects include:rnberget Spine/Precipice, SwedenRrbck Forest Retreat, Varberg, SwedenCemetary at Ulriksdal, Stockholm, SwedenRefugium of a Forester, Hallands ln, SwedenHouse on a Cliff, Stockholm, Sweden The following statistics helped GIPP arkitektur achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 38 3. Tengbom TengbomTengbom is one of Scandinavias leading architecture practices. Through architecture, we help our clients push boundaries and make the world a better place. Together we create sustainable and beautiful architecture that works, enriches peoples lives, and strengthens our clients and our society at the same time. Since 1906, Tengbom has designed many of Swedens most cherished buildings and spaces. Our fifteen offices stretch from the north to the south of Sweden and across the Baltic Sea to Helsinki in Finland.Some of Tengboms most prominent projects include:stermalm Hall Padel, Gothenburg, Swedenstermalms Temporary Market Hall, Stockholm, SwedenThe Bicycle Garage, Uppsala, SwedenKvarnkullen Kindergarten, Stockholm, SwedenSouth entrance, Helsingborg, Sweden The following statistics helped Tengbom achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Winner 3 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 13 2. Johan Sundberg Arkitektur Johan Sundberg Arkitektur ABJohan Sundberg Arkitektur specializes in small and medium scale new buildings, refurbishments and extensions. Each project is a unique challenge, and we work closely with our clients to create an optimal solution. Johan Sundberg was educated at Lund Universitys Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Sweden, and the Faculty of Engineering Science at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. In his second year of studies he began working with graphic design, and went on to devote his attention to interior architecture and single-family dwellings. Rather than beginning his career in a large firm, he chose to found his own practice. The project Villa Bergman Werntoft was completed at the same time that Johan received his degree, and it was nominated as the best debut project.Some of Johan Sundberg Arkitekturs most prominent projects include:Villa J, Kmpinge, SwedenByggom AB Office Extension, Lund, SwedenSummerhouse Solviken, Mlle, SwedenAndrum, Hr, SwedenSummerhouse H, Lilla Beddinge, SwedenTop image: Villa Ljung, Ljungvgen, Hllviken, Sweden The following statistics helped Johan Sundberg Arkitektur AB achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: Featured Projects 9 Total Projects 15 1. Tham & Videgrd Arkitekter ke E:son LindmanTham & Videgrd Arkitekter is a progressive and contemporary practice that focuses on architecture and design from large scale urban planning through to buildings, interiors and objects. The practice objective is to create distinct and relevant architecture with the starting point resting within the unique context and specific conditions of the individual project. Taking an active approach, the office is involved throughout the whole process, from developing the early sketch to the on-site supervision. Commissions include public, commercial and private clients in Sweden and abroad. The practice approach to architecture is inclusive; with practical, theoretical, social and environmental issues analyzed and integrated within the process.Some of Tham & Videgrd Arkitekters most prominent projects include:New School of Architecture, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, SwedenTellus Nursery School, Stockholm, SwedenVstra Kajen Housing, Jnkping, SwedenGarden House, 2008, Sdertlje, SwedenDouble House, Danderyd, Sweden The following statistics helped Tham & Videgrd Arkitekter achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Sweden: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 19 Why Should I Trust Architizers Ranking?With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the worlds largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the worlds best architecture each year.Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlightedA Guide to Project AwardsThe blue + badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizers Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a projects likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:Project completed within the last 3 yearsA well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphsArchitectural designwith a high level of both functional and aesthetic valueHigh quality, in focus photographsAt least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the buildingInclusion of architectural drawings and renderingsInclusion of construction photographsThere are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizers Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.Were constantly look for the worlds best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please dont hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Sweden appeared first on Journal.

The Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 13th A+Awards is Friday December 6th! This season we're spotlighting the talent of architects who expertly balance global challenges with local needs. Start your entry.Im going to take a leap of faith and say that everyone whos had a chance to visit the Perelman Performing Arts Center has walked away at least a little impressed. After all, its not every day you encounter a building that adapts so naturally to the needs of every performance and audience, making each visit feel fresh and unexpected.Designed by REX Architecture, PAC is the final piece of the World Trade Center master plan, where a site once defined by loss has been reimagined through architecture, community and culture. First recognized with the A+Award for Unbuilt Cultural Project in 2019 and later awarded the Built Cultural Hall/Theatre prize after completion, PAC reflects REXs deep expertise in shaping the future of performance spaces.At Future Fest 2024, Joshua Ramus, the firms founding principal, discussed PAC alongside other key projects like the Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University and the Wyly Theatre in Dallas, exploring how each project builds on their vision for adaptable, forward-thinking design. And while these ideas resonate across their work, PAC offers a particularly striking example one that invites us to consider what lies ahead for performance architecture.So, what does the future hold? How will PACs design influence the next generation of cultural spaces? And how does its presence help reshape the identity of Lower Manhattan? These are just a few of the questions that arise as we dive into the story behind this extraordinary project.Complexity, Function, FormPerelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center by REX, New York City, New YorkPerelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center by REX, New York City, New YorkWhen you hear the term performance architecture, youre probably imagining something bold large, eccentric and designed with the goal to stand out. For years, theaters leaned into spectacle, focusing on form to make a statement. But thats not the direction REX took with the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC). Instead, PAC embraces a different philosophy, one rooted in simplicity on the surface, with complexity revealed over time.Some architects want to create complex buildings that reveal themselves to the user over time. We wanted to create the inverse a building that seems incredibly simple, yet, every time you visit, you have a radically different experience and the more you engage with it, the harder it becomes to understand how all these experiences are contained within one seemingly small, simple structure,explains Ramus.PACs design shifts focus away from architecture as spectacle, directing attention instead toward the experiences it enables. With its understated marble-wrapped cube, the building achieves complexity through the performances it supports, rather than through form alone.Perelman Performing Arts Center: Diagram of the faade materialsThe faade is constructed from -inch-thick translucent Portuguese marble, laminated with glass to prevent water infiltration and manage thermal expansion. During the day, the marble panels give the structure a grounded, stone-like presence. At night, light from within passes through the marble, causing the building to glow softly, hinting at the creative energy inside. Each panels veining is carefully arranged through book-matching to create symmetrical patterns on all sides, adding a subtle layer of precision beneath the simplicity.Radical Flexibility: Adaptive Performance in ActionPerelman Performing Arts Center: Floor plan / Section of the three theaters Perelman Performing Arts Center: Mechanical infrastructure beneath the stageBuilding on this idea that the space is tailored towards the function it serves, PAC functions as an adaptable system that evolves with each performance. Three reconfigurable theaters the Zuccotti, Nichols and Duke are at the heart of this system. Rather than operating as independent spaces, these theaters work together to offer ten distinct layouts, with configurations ranging from intimate setups to expansive formats.As Ramus put it, The idea was for the building to react to the art, not the art to the building. This philosophy is reflected in the mechanics behind PACs design. Modular floor systems, moving balconies and adjustable seating arrangements adapted from container-moving technology allow for 62 possible stage-audience configurations. These tools offer not just variety but efficiency, minimizing the resources needed for reconfiguration.Perelman Performing Arts Center: Modular configurations of the theaters in various layoutsThe flexibility extends beyond the stage. Public and backstage areas can shift depending on the performance, with spaces transforming fluidly between front-of-house and back-of-house roles. Audience arrangements are equally versatile, with patrons positioned along the theaters perimeter, clustered at the center, or even surrounding the performers. This approach gives each visit a sense of discoveryas if every performance unlocks a new possibility within the same structure.Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center by REX, New York City, New YorkThis design philosophy culminates in what REX refers to as a mystery box a building that offers something new and unexpected each time. By striking a careful balance between mechanized and manual systems, PAC allows for quick reconfigurations without overwhelming complexity. The result is a performance space that adapts effortlessly, giving both artists and audiences the freedom to explore and innovate in ways not typically possible in traditional venues.Sound as ArchitecturePACs acoustic design aligns with the buildings core philosophy: adaptability without compromise. More often than not, multi-use venues try to perform well across various formats, but as a result they excel at none. PAC avoids this by treating sound as a malleable tool, shaped to fit the unique needs of each performance. But how? Two main aspects stand out.1. The Acoustics of a Forest ClearingPerelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center by REX, New York City, New YorkRather than locking in one acoustic identity, the building allows sound to shift and adjust with each performance.Ramus recalls what Carl Giegold from Threshold Acoustics told him: We need to create a forest clearing, Carl told me. Why? Its a boundaryless space. And that doesnt mean the sound goes out and never comes backthe sound goes out and it will eventually hit somethingleaves, branches, treesand it will always come back. So this holds the energy, but you just dont know the acoustic signature of the space. In this space, we could then create different acoustic signatures depending on the performance.To replicate this effect, PAC uses walnut planks with scoops cut by crown molding knives. Each plank has one, two, or three scoops, ensuring varied reflections. Arranged in 258 possible combinations, the planks scatter sound unpredictably, similar to how leaves and branches diffuse sound in a forest. This setup prevents sound waves from following set paths, creating an acoustic environment that holds energy while remaining adaptable to different performances. Variable acoustic banners within the catwalks allow fine adjustments, letting sound engineers shape reverberation and reflection to fit the needs of each show.2. The Box-in-a-Box: Keeping the World OutPerelman Performing Arts Center: Cutaway view showcasing the modular, box-in-a-box theater designPACs theaters not only shape sound internally but also block external noise; this feature is critical given the buildings location above train lines, highways and high-security infrastructure. Each theater operates as a box-in-a-box, meaning it is an independent structure within the larger building. This design isolates the theaters from vibrations and noise generated by the bustling infrastructure below.These internal boxes sit on high-density rubber pads, which absorb vibrations and prevent sound transfer between theaters. This ensures that multiple performances can run simultaneously without interference. The layers of the structure, along with the rubber isolation, create a controlled acoustic environment free from external disruption.The Future is FlexibleWith all of this in mind, one thing is certain: the PAC sets a new standard for performance spaces, one that prioritizes adaptability, function and creative freedom over spectacle.REXs approach shows that the future of performance architecture lies in spaces that are not only beautiful but agile, built to change with the needs of each production. The Perelman Performing Arts Center, with its mystery box design and creative use of materials, marks a beginning of a new era one where architecture no longer dictates the experience, but supports it, giving art and performance the freedom to take center stage.Register to view the recording of Joshua Ramus 2024 Future Fest presentation, in which he presents the genius of the Perelman Performing Arts Centers flexible design in detail:Watch Full PresentationThe Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 13th A+Awards is Friday December 6th! This season we're spotlighting the talent of architects who expertly balance global challenges with local needs. Start your entry.The post A Machine for Performing: The Perelman Arts Center Marks a New Era in Performance Architecture appeared first on Journal.

Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!In his 2019 article for Children & Nature Network, Richard Louv makes us pause for thought in the first paragraph. He tells the story of pediatrician and clinical scientist Nooshin Razani, who treated a four-year-old girl suffering from anxiety after fleeing war-torn Yemen for San Francisco. Instead of prescriptions or therapy, the doctor offered the child a chance to visit a local park.Razani is founder of the Center for Nature and Health, Americas first nature-based clinic linked to a major healthcare provider, which leads on the Stay Healthy In Nature Everyday (SHINE) program. As it sounds, the scheme is about encouraging people to get out into green and blue spaces to improve wellbeing, mental and physical health. Patients and physicians participate, the latter looking to avoid the burnout that can so easily come with the intensity of their job.Further evidence of just how beneficial nature is to humans isnt hard to come by. Just Google it. But, according to the Office for National Statistics, 1.1million fewer people in the UK gained health benefits from nature in 2022 than they did during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data analysis puts this at an estimated loss of 390 million, when additional treatment, days off work and illness are factored into the equation. Its a shocking claim, not least because it lays bare just how quickly we can forget about the great green cure-all.THE H Garden by Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Seoul, South KoreaIts a phenomenon architects have historically been guilty of. In Seoul, South Korea, The H Garden is a prime example of just how overlooked nature, and opportunities for nature, can be in urban development. Situated at the foot of a monolithic apartment complex comprising 6,700 units, the Hyundai Engineering & Construction project landscaped and greened an unused plot of land in a bid to bring nature closer to residents and encourage people to see nature at a more human level. A contrast to the overwhelming scene of endless skyscrapers and treetops that often defines South Koreas capital when seen from anywhere but the first few floors of a tower.The design and implementation are commendable, but the fact this development was only introduced in 2023, long after the homes were built, betrays a shameful oversight when ground was originally broken. Green space should have been included in the masterplan. Interventions like this are incredibly common, of course. In our Sustainable Practice series we previously featured One Green Mile in Mumbai, a vibrant public space complete with plants and trees in what had formerly been a roadside dead zone.One Green Mile Public Space and Streetscape Designby StudioPOD, Mumbai, IndiaAgain, the results are fantastic, but the question really needs to be why did this not happen before? And when we ask that, Blue Temples exceptional efforts to transform a neglected piece of land in Myanmar into the community pocket park Plot ABC then springs to mind (pictured below). Another example of greenery being introduced well after the fact, when it could and should have been part of the original area blueprint.Bringing this full circle, Louvs article calls for recognition of access to nature as a human right, and refers directly to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This far-reaching framework recognizes a number of things which should be fundamental to the experience of all young people. One of these is growing up in a healthy environment and connecting children with nature.No such protections exist in any other human rights convention, presenting an uncomfortable truth. Theres a stark difference between our expectations as a child, of what childhood should mean, and what constitutes the best setting for human development, and our priorities as adults.Plot ABC by Blue Temple, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)Quite why there should be a difference between the two is well beyond the remit of this article, but whats clear is that somewhere along the line we have collectively forgotten why we felt the need to ratify access to nature and greenery as a basic human right for young people. As self-appointed world-builders, this needs to urgently improve, and architects stand as agents of that change.Large parks create landmarks from natural assets, and understandably usually open with a fanfare after huge investment and lengthy build times. Writing this from Manchester, a city that has historically undervalued nature to such an extent it built over its own rivers, Mayfield immediately springs to mind. Completed in 2022 at a cost of 1.4billion, the space boasts wildflower gardens, riverside walkways and the kind of kids playground adults want to try out.The fact it was the first park built in town for more than a century speaks volumes about how difficult weve made it to secure the land and money to realize green spaces, and shows relying on major projects is unlikely to bridge the gap between nature needs and wants of the majority. High quality, smaller scale interventions seem to be a much more effective way of bringing greenery to more people. Its just a shame we still dont seem to be dedicating enough time to identifying and unlocking suitable locations and seizing opportunities they present. If we did, chances are more people would be enjoying those nature benefits, not less.Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!The post Access to Nature Is a Human Right and It Should Be an Architectural Priority appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.After pitching this article to Architizers managing editor, I spent a long time wondering how to approach it what the angle should be.Finding reasons to praise A Field Guide to American Houses was of course not the problem. I have long known that Virginia Savage McElsters book on vernacular American domestic architecture is as essential as air to anyone who loves historic homes. This is the book that taught me how to distinguish Georgian houses from Federal ones, and that Victorian is not a style of house but rather a period associated with a number of revival movements. (When people talk about Victorian houses, they are usually referring to the Queen Anne style). The pictorial glossary is still useful to me when I need to look up an architectural term (most recently, the difference between mullions and muntins), with a preference for a source that is more authoritative than what Google can cook up.And yet, as easy as it would be to list the uses of the Field Guide, that isnt quite enough to justify an article. It also doesnt seem adequate to the book, whose most important virtue is not usefulness. The book is great because it is captivating.The Shiels House was built in 1906 and is an unusual hybrid of Queen Anne Victorian and Prairie School with some Craftsman details. It is located in Dallas, Texas, the beloved home city of Virginia Savage McAlester. Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe secret of this books long standing success, I think, is that it inspires readers to take an interest in their own communities. Readers learn to appreciate that every block, every house, every window in their neighborhood has a story to tell. Even more than this, these elements are connected to a history, a language, that they can learn to decipher for themselves. The Field Guide teaches you how to read your neighborhood, and how to see that even new construction is tied to history, as all buildings exist in dialogue with what came before. Famously, its publication in 1984 led to the founding of preservation societies across the country, as readers gained a newfound appreciation for the built environment of their communities.The layout of the Field Guide is very straightforward. This is unapologetically a reference guide that seeks to inform rather than editorialize. And yet, the lovingly assembled encyclopedic array of American domestic architectural types ranging from the Native American wigwam to the Split Level cannot help but inspire one to go out and start categorizing the houses in their neighborhood. I compare the experience of reading this book to learning about birdwatching. For birders who learn how to become sensitive to birdsong, the world outside becomes suffused with meaning. Suddenly, there is more in the environment that one can choose to attend to.The greatest virtue of this book might be its accessibility. Each chapter begins with identifying details and photographic examples of the style in question. In the last section of each chapter, titled simply Comments, McElster provides some insight into where the featured style came from and how it fits into the history of architecture. While McElsters tone is always neutral, one can pick up on a point of view. She has a special affection for the more ornate styles, especially Queen Anne houses. Queen Anne Houses are among the most complex in architectural history, she writes, ornamenting every surface in sight. Even door hinges were embossed. Indeed, there is nothing quite like a well preserved Queen Anne House, and McElsters Field Guide did much to encourage interest in the preservation of these American masterpieces.Ashishboora15, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsVirginia Savage McElster passed away in 2020. The most recent update of the Field Guide was published in 2010 and included 600 new photos and line drawings of house types from 1940 to 2010. These chapters are just as captivating as those that preceded it, proving that architectural history keeps moving but not in a linear direction. The most recent house styles she identifies, New Traditional and American Vernacular, are eclectic styles, defined by the way they recombine elements from the past.There is a lesson in this, I think. By looking at architecture form a pedestrian, street-level points of view, emphasizing the types of homes people are likely to live in, McElster breaks away from some of the thematic narratives that dominate architectural discourse. The homes we live in arent demonstrations of ideas, they are environments cobbled together from multiple influences in order to serve a human function. Similarly, theField Guide isnt a treatise like so many other famous books on architecture its a tour. There is no book that is more essential to an architects private library.Cover Image: American Craftsman-style home at 1723 NE Naomi Place in the Ravenna-Cowen North Historic District, Seattle, Washington. Guywelch2000, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsArchitects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.The post A Field Guide to American Houses at 40: Why This Classic Book Deserves a Place on Your Coffee Table appeared first on Journal.

The A+Awards are back and with the Main Entry Deadline on December 6th, its your chance to get your work in front of some of the most influential voices in architecture and beyond. Our jury, made up of over 250 experts from across architecture, design, publishing, technology and more, is as diverse as the projects it celebrates. Each year, were excited to welcome new leaders who are breaking new ground and redefining whats possible in the built environment.Enter the 13th Annual A+AwardsThis year, were proud to introduce eight inspiring individuals who are truly advocating for change in the industry. These visionary leaders are using architecture to tackle real-world challenges, whether its designing sustainable spaces, reimagining how cities function, or creating environments that honor community and identity. Their work is reshaping the way we think about the role of architecture in todays world and their impact reaches far beyond buildings.Learn more about these eight advocates for change and how their passions is driving the future of architecture:Andrew MaynardDirector, Austin Maynard ArchitectsAndrew established Andrew Maynard Architects (now Austin Maynard Architects) in 2002 after winning the Asia Pacific Design Awards grand prize for his mobile work station, THE DESIGN POD the first of many awards he has received throughout his career. Andrew is Tasmanian and has a bachelor of Environmental Design and a bachelor of Architecture (with honors), both of which he received at the University of Tasmania. In 2020, Andrew was named Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects for his significant contribution to the architecture profession. Andrew was also a founding board member of Nightingale Housing a non-for-profit organization creating ethical, socially sustainable and cost effective housing, whilst also revolutionizing the developer-dominated housing market.Andrew is an innovative and inspiring architect whose work has been published globally and exhibited worldwide from New York, Budapest and Osaka; to Milan, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. Andrews work has been shown throughout the world. His first big exhibition was at the YOUNG Guns exhibition in New York City in 2004 while his Styx Valley Protest Shelter was exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Andrew is regularly asked to lecture, which he loves. He has been a keynote speaker at the Malaysian Institute of Architects conference, the New Zealand Institute of Architects conference and the Anabata conference in Jakarta.Hans Ulrich ObristArtistic Director, SerpentineHans Ulrich Obrist (b. 1968, Zurich, Switzerland) is Artistic Director of Serpentine in London, and Senior Advisor at LUMA Arles. Prior to this, he was the Curator of the Muse dArt Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Since his first show World Soup (The Kitchen Show) in 1991, he has curated more than 350 exhibitions, including recent exhibitions Enzo Mari at Triennale Milano (2020) and WORLDBUILDING at Centre Pompidou Metz (2023) and Julia Stoschek Collection Dusseldorf (2022).In 2011 Obrist received the CCS Bard Award for Curatorial Excellence, and in 2015 he was awarded the International Folkwang Prize, and most recently he was honored by the Appraisers Association of America with the 2018 Award for Excellence in the Arts. Obrists recent publications include Ways of Curating (2015), The Age of Earthquakes (2015), Lives of the Artists, Lives of Architects (2015), The Extreme Self: Age of You (2021), and 140 Ideas for Planet Earth (2021), Edouard Glissant: Archipelago (2021), James Lovelock: Ever Gaia (2023) Remember to Dream (2023), Une vie in Progress (2023).Jha D AmaziPrincipal, MASS Design GroupJha D Amazi believes that the narratives upheld in our public realm should be expanded to represent, honor, and celebrate the experiences, histories, and cultures of people who have been historically denied representation in our memorial landscape. As a Principal at MASS Design Group, Jha D leads the Public Memory and Memorials Lab, engaging communities to design projects such as the Franklin Park Action Plan (Boston, MA), the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument Project (Tallahatchie County, MS and Chicago, IL), the Gun Violence Memorial Project (Chicago, IL, and Washington D.C.), and the Sugar Land 95 Cemetery Revitalization Project (Sugar Land, TX).Beyond her contributions at MASS, Jha D is a spoken word artist, event producer, and self-proclaimed SpaceMaker for the LGBTQ+ communities of color. In 2023, she was appointed to the Governors Advisory Council on Black Empowerment by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. Jha D graduated with honors from Northeastern University (B.S. Arch) and the University of Pennsylvania (M. Arch I). Prior to joining MASS, she worked as a Designer at Sasaki and taught studio at the Boston Architectural College.James CornerFounding Partner, Field OperationsJames Corner is Founding Partner of Field Operations, based in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, London and Shenzhen. His work focuses upon the design of important urban public realm projects, which include New Yorks highly acclaimed High Line, San Franciscos Presidio Tunnel Tops, Chicagos Navy Pier, Clevelands Public Square, Santa Monicas Tongva Park, Londons South Park at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hong Kongs Victoria Dockside, and Shenzhens new city of Qianhai.Jamess work has been recognized with numerous awards, most notably the ASLA Design Medal, the Richard Neutra Award for Professional Excellence, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. He holds Honorary Doctorates in Design from the Technical University of Munich and Manchester Metropolitan University. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, the National Building Museum, the Royal Academy of Art in London, and the Venice Biennale. His books include The High Line: Foreseen/Unforeseen (Phaidon, 2015); The Landscape Imagination (Princeton, 2014), and Taking Measures Across the American Landscape (Yale, 1996).James is Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, where he served on the faculty since 1990 and as Professor and Chairman from 2000-2013. He sits on the Board of the Urban Design Forum and the Government Advisory Board of Shenzhen and is an Elected Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.Kongjian YuFounder & Principal Designer, TurenscapeFor over 25 years, Kongjian Yu has fought against deteriorating urban ecologies and the environment. His pioneering research on Ecological Security Pattern (1995) and Ecological Infrastructure, Negative Planning and Sponge Cities (2003) has been adopted by the Chinese government as guiding theory for nationwide ecological protection and restoration campaigns. He helped shift Chinese national-level policies from economic development-centered urbanism toward ecologically prudent urbanism through numerous letters to top Chinese leaders and over 600 lectures to almost all ranks of Chinese officials; numerous television programs; and as a leading member of several national expert committees. He is the editor and/or author of several text books authorized to train Chinese officials.Yu defines landscape architecture as the art of survival. His guiding design principles are the appreciation of the ordinary and a deep embrace of nature, even in its potentially destructive aspects such as urban flooding. He drew on inspiration from his childhood farming experience and the ancient wisdom of water and waste management to design and test a series of nature-based solutions, including strengthened constructed wetland for water filtration, green sponge for storm water management and ecosystems services-oriented design for brownfield remediation. He has then upgraded and standardized these solutions to become replicable ecological engineering modules that can be implemented at large scale in a cost-effective manner.Beyond his scientific research and education as professor and social advocate, Yu practices what he advocates in terms of green solutions and sustainability. In 1998, he founded Turenscape, one of the first private practices in urbanism and landscape architecture in China, which has grown to become one of the largest practices in the world in these fields, with over 500 professionals. He and his team have designed and built over 500 projects in over 250 cities in China and abroad. He has won over 40 prestigious international awards for his ecologically sound and culturally sensitive projects. Yu is the author of over 20 books and is the founder and chief editor of internationally awarded magazine Landscape Architecture Frontier. He has been an invited lecturer, speaker, and guest professor around the world. He founded and has been leading the Graduate School of Landscape Architecture, and the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University for decades. Yu received his Doctor of Design Degree at Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1995.Germane BarnesFounder, Studio Barnes / B-arn-SGermane Barnes is the Principal of Studio Barnes, and Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Architecture Graduate Program at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Barnes practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity, examining architectures social and political agency through historical research and design speculation.His work has recently been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Arts groundbreaking 2021 exhibition, Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America, and the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial. He is a winner of the Architectural League Prize and is a Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome. He was selected in the inaugural cohort of The Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab created by Theaster Gates and sponsored by Prada. His work has also been featured and acquired to the permanent collections of international institutions most notably San Francisco MoMA, LACMA, The Art Institute of Chicago, The New York Times, and The National Museum of African American History and Culture. His project, Griot was widely published, as a participant in Biennale Architettura 2023, Laboratory of the Future.Julia WatsonAuthor and Researcher, Julia Watson LLC and LoTEK InstituteJulia Watson is an Australian born, award-winning author, educator, and landscape designer based in Brooklyn, New York. Watson is an expert on traditional and indigenous technologies and focuses her work at the intersection of anthropology, ecology and innovation. Her eponymously named studio foregrounds traditional knowledge, sustainability and nature-based innovation, while the LoTEK Institute launched in 2024, to foster climate and environmental literacy for scholars worldwide. Watson was named by Wallpaper* in 2023 and 2024, as one of the 300 people defining creative America, and is the 2024 recipient of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Arts Arthur Ross Award for lifetime achievement in Education.Hubert KlumpnerArchitect & Principal-Partner, Urbanthinktank_next, Professor of Architecture & Urban Design, ETH ZurichHubert Klumpner is an Austrian architect and the design principal of Urbanthinktank_next. He currently holds the position of Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, ETHZ. He is internationally renowned for his architecture, urban and research projects, which focus on the interface of informality and the design of architecture prototypes, innovative building typologies, and civic spaces for culture, education and shelter in pursuit of an alternative architecture practice. Through his architecture practice Urbanthinktank, Klumpner has been influential as one of the originators of the social turn a movement that gained recognition at the MoMA exhibition Small Scale Big Change / New Architectures of Social Engagement in 2010.Urbanthinktanks work aims to transform everyday neighborhoods into critical areas for imagining public space and social practices, emphasizing the role of architecture as critical infrastructure for art and culture in addressing inclusion in post-crisis cities. As a founding partner of Urbanthinktank, he has received numerous awards and prizes, including the Golden Lion at the International Architecture Biennale Venice, the Chicago Award of the Museum of Architecture and Design, the Curry Stone Foundation Design Prize, and the Gold Holcim Award Latin America. Current projects include Fabrica de Cultura in Barranquilla, Colombia, and the General Urban Plan for Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His contributions are widely published in architecture books and journal article.With a diverse jury of global experts and a global voting public, Architizer's A+Awards champions firms around the world. Get your work in front of the industry's best by starting your submission today.The post Advocates for Change: 8 Visionary Leaders in Architecture Join the A+Awards Jury appeared first on Journal.

Have you completed a project that captures the essence of its locale while addressing global concerns? If so, Architizer's A+Awards is your platform. Enter now for a chance to have your work featured in print and online.As far as architectural wonders go, the Pyramids, with their formidable forms, subterranean secrets and regal roots, have a tendency to steal the limelight when it comes to the architectural history of the African continent. Yet, if you head north along the ancient banks of the winding Nile to Nubia, otherwise known as Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt, you will find a legacy that, despite a distinct lack of pharaohs, is no less impressive.In this sun-soaked land, with limited access to timber but more mud than you can shake a stick at, the Nubians mastered the art of building with the earth. Using techniques passed down through generations, the ancient people of Nubia crafted gently curving vaults that were so extraordinary and resilient to the sands of time that they have endured for millennia. Today, the style is known as a Nubian Vault (credit where credit is due) and for one reason and another, they are making a bit of a comeback. Visual representation on y = a cosh(x/a). Diagram provided by author.The Nubian vault employs what is known as the catenary curve, a term in physicsandgeometry that originates from the shape of a chain or flexible cord that hangs freely from two points. Defined by the equation y = a cosh(x/a), where a determines the curves steepness, the catenary curve was calculated by a Swiss mathematician named Johann Bernoulli in the latter part of the 17th century. When inverted, this curve becomes the basis of a Nubian Vault.As the Nubians discovered many thousands of years ago, this shape works perfectly with mudbricks, which have high compressive but low tensile strength. The catenary curve places the structural forces entirely in compression, which, amazingly, is where mud bricks perform at their best. Mud bricks can withstand weight pushing down on them but are significantly weaker against bending or pulling forces. The unique shape of a Nubian vault ensures that all the forces head downwards, compressing the bricks and actually making them stronger over time. The pointed shape of a Nubian Vault also helps reduce what is called lateral thrust on the walls. The shape naturally directs the weight downwards to the base, meaning no need for buttressing. Finally, by overlapping or corbeling the bricks w here each layer of bricks slightly overhangs the one below the arch does not need centering or formwork. These mathematical and physical principles work together to form a structure that is not only strong and durable but keeps the need for additional resources to a minimum.Alain Guilleux,Voute nubienne egypte,CC BY-SA 3.0Sustainability, though perhaps anachronistic, has always been a key feature of the Nubian vault. By using sun-dried mud bricks to make the vaults, the Nubians relied entirely on materials that were local and easily accessible. This practice was unsurprisingly necessary due to the lack of transport options in 1276 BCE. Rather than relying on imported materials, the Nubians intuitively followed what we now call vernacular architecture. The mud bricks, made from the very soil beneath the builders feet, formed structures that were perfectly suited to their environment. This low-impact, low-energy method minimized any environmental disturbance and resulted in structures that were not just sustainable in material but also in their relationship to the locale. Nubian Vaults required no industrial processes, no transportation networks and no excess all elements of design that architects today strive to achieve under the banner of sustainable design.Part of that relationship with the surrounding land came from understanding climactic conditions. Nubia was an arid region as it remains today. Achieving stable temperatures was a priority for the sweltering days and cool evenings. Part of the brilliance of the Nubian vault lies in its natural response to the harsh desert climate. The thick mud-brick walls, with their high thermal mass, absorb the days heat and release it slowly at night, creating a steady, comfortable internal temperature. In addition, the catenary curve promotes natural airflow, and with cleverly positioned openings, cross-ventilation ensures a continuous cooling effect. In short, the vault not only withstands the elements it thrives within them, using the climate to its advantage.In recent years, architects have been fascinated by the Nubian vault, understanding that it is as useful now as it was in its inception. Organizations like the Nubian Vault Association have been at the forefront of this movement, reintroducing the technique to regions where deforestation, limited access to modern building materials and harsh climates present significant challenges. Countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal are leading examples where this ancient construction method is being revived in an attempt to address modern housing needs. The vaults offer an affordable, climate-responsive solution. With their low-energy construction process and impressive thermal performance, they are highly effective in managing the regions extreme temperature fluctuations.One of the key drivers behind this uptick in Nubian Vault techniques being used in projects is the socioeconomic benefits. The revival of the Nubian vault technique is part of a broader movement of architectural reclamation that exists across the world. By local masons becoming trained in the technique, employment opportunities are created, and within communities, skills become much more advanced. Helping communities to become self-reliant and able to construct their own homes and public buildings. It is an empowering way for locals to master their heritage craft and break cycles of dependency on foreign aid or expensive, imported materials.Nubian Vaults are embedded with centuries of accumulated knowledge about local materials and climate, which modern technology often overlooks. In regions facing housing shortages, deforestation, and the impacts of climate change, the Nubian Vault has proven itself as a holistic solution one that combines the social, environmental and cultural aspects of sustainability.Have you completed a project that captures the essence of its locale while addressing global concerns? If so, Architizer's A+Awards is your platform. Enter now for a chance to have your work featured in print and online.The post The Nubian Vault: Applying Old Construction Techniques to Modern Building Problems appeared first on Journal.

Its that time of year Architizer eagerly awaits the upcoming 12th Annual A+Awards Gala, which will be hosted in partnership with LUXELAKES A8 Design Center. This November, architects and designers from around the world will descend upon the LUXELAKES The Water Theater, an architectural treasure designed by Antoine Predock Architects and located in Tianfu New District, Chengdu, China. The gala is set for Thursday, November 21 and promises to be a remarkable evening of celebration for the architecture and design community.The A+Awards gala already has along and illustrious history, and this years event promises to be unlike any before it. Chengdu, a thriving hub of architectural innovation, serves as the perfect backdrop for this years event. The city boasts more than a dozen A+Award-winning projects, making it one of Chinas most significant centers of modern architecture. Guests will have the opportunity to explore Chengdus rich architectural landscape and experience the citys design excellence firsthand.The A+Awards Gala is a global event honoring the innovators behind the worlds most outstanding buildings and spaces. This years gala will highlight the winners of the 12th Annual A+Awards, alongside a seated dinner and reception. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with architects, designers and industry leaders from around the world.The choice of the iconic LUXELAKES The Water Theater as the venue is symbolically fitting. The event will also serve as a party for the 13th A+Awards currentlyopen for entrieswith a Main Entry Deadline of December 5 which is celebrating the unique talent of architects who expertly balance global challenges with local needs. Designed by the Albuquerque firm, Antoine Predock Architect, the majestic, topographic building is the product of extensive research into the people and surrounding landscape, perfectly embodying a new brand of architecture that is both innovative and deeply rooted in its context.Architizer 12th Annual A+Awards Gala venue: LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaThis years gala will also feature speeches by this years A+Awards Special Honorees. These accolades recognize influential individuals, firms, or organizations that are leading the way in the field of architecture and have left an indelible mark on the built environment. Special Honorees will include:Mecanoo, Firm of the Year AwardMUDA, Emerging Firm of the Year AwardVector Architects, Leadership in Design AwardSanjay Puri Architects, Sustainability in Design AwardMAD Architects, Innovation in Design AwardIn addition to the award presentations and celebrations, Architizer will unveil the newest edition of its highly acclaimed book, Architizer: The Worlds Best Architecture. This renowned publication showcases every winning project from the most recent A+Awards season, providing readers with a captivating journey through cutting-edge, transformative architectural designs each described by the architects themselves.Architizeris excited to celebrate the worlds best architecture withan unforgettable gathering of glamour, inspiration, and celebration in Chengdu this November. The event will provide a platform for recognizing the extraordinary individuals and projects that shape our world, and inspire future generations of architects and designers.For more information and updates on the A+Awards, visithttps://enter.architizer.com/To register your architecture firm for the 13th A+Awards, visit https://info.architizer.com/a-plus-awards-newsletterArchitizer 12th Annual A+Awards Gala venue: LUXELAKES The Water Theater by Antoine Predock Architect, Chengdu, ChinaAbout ArchitizerHome to the worlds largest community of architects online, Architizers core mission is to celebrate the worlds best architecture and the people that bring it to life. Powered by continually evolving technologies, we serve architects with the inspiration and information they need to build better buildings, better cities, and a better world. We advocate for a more sustainable, resilient and ethically designed built environment. We provide design professionals and building-product manufacturers with a global platform to promote their work through awards, competitions and engaging content.About LUXELAKES Eco-CityLUXELAKES Eco-City, located in the southern area about 28 kilometers from the center of Chengdu, is an important gateway to the future core area of the Tianfu New District under the overall urban structure of Chengdus two cities and two hearts. As an international new city that integrates high-end residential, high-end industries, and leisure and entertainment facilities, it is based on scarce ecological resources and has pioneered the introduction of water systems into the citys functional sector, achieving a model for the development of a domestic ecological new city. In the future, it will accommodate more than 200,000 urban residents and industrial population, with a total land area of 8,300 acres, construction land of 4,200 acres, landscape land of 3000 acres, and municipal supporting land of 1,100 acres.About LUXELAKES A8 Design CenterAs a design culture platform, LUXELAKES A8 Design Center is committed to helping emerging designers grow and injecting design thinking into urban development through cross-border resource integration and bottom-up community-based working methods.The Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 13th A+Awards is Friday December 6th! This season we're spotlighting the talent of architects who expertly balance global challenges with local needs. Start your entry.The post Celebrating the Worlds Best Architecture: Architizers A+Awards Gala To Take Place in Chengdu appeared first on Journal.

Ema is a trained architect, writer and photographer whoworks as a Junior Architectat REX in NYC. Inspired by her global experiences, she shares captivating insights into the worlds most extraordinary cities and buildings and provides travel tips on her blog,The Travel Album.As the colder seasons arrive, our homes and interiors take on a new role: they become sanctuaries from the chill, offering warmth, comfort and a sense of refuge. The concept of cozy isnt merely about aesthetics; its about creating spaces that nurture the senses and promote well-being. In architectural design, achieving this level of comfort requires a thoughtful blend of elements such as materials, lighting, textures, and spatial arrangements. Since the colder months are quickly approaching, I want to explore key architectural strategies that help create interiors that feel inviting and serene during fall and winter, offering practical insights into how architects can enhance seasonal comfort.HyggeSplit View Mountain Lodgeby Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, Geilo, Norway Having spent several years immersed in Danish culture, I frequently encountered the term hyggeduring this time of the year. It is a Danish concept that embodies a sense of comfort, warmth, and well-being, often associated with creating cozy, inviting environments. I learned that its more than just aesthetics hygge emphasizes slowing down, savoring simple pleasures and fostering meaningful connections. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the principles of designing for comfort during the fall and winter seasons.Architects and designers inspired by hygge focus on creating spaces that nurture the senses, using natural materials, warm lighting and thoughtful spatial arrangements to evoke feelings of safety and contentment. Whether through soft textiles, crackling fireplaces or intimate seating areas, hygge encourages an atmosphere that balances function with emotional well-being, making spaces feel like sanctuaries from the colder seasons outside. I believe this term lies at the heart of everything associated with coziness. Once you understand the concept of hygge, it becomes easy to visualize the architectural elements that evoke this feeling, from warm materials to intimate spaces designed for comfort and connection.Embracing Natural Materials for Warmth and TextureAgate Pass Cabinby Olson Kundig, Bainbridge Island, WashingtonOne of the most effective ways to create a cozy atmosphere is by using natural materials that bring warmth and texture to interiors. Wood, stone, leather and even cork are particularly effective in establishing an inviting ambiance. Wooden beams, wall cladding, or exposed timber ceilings add an organic touch, while reclaimed wood introduces character and history to a space. Natural stone elements, such as hearths or accent walls, evoke a grounded, timeless feeling, ideal for cooler months.In my own home, during Canadas cold months, cork flooring is always a welcome feature, especially in a kitchen that opens to the backyard, where cold air tends to seep in. Cork is a great example of a material that provides a soft, warm and comfortable surface, making it an excellent choice for areas prone to exposure to the cold, ensuring the space remains cozy and inviting.Architects also often turn to tactile materials such as wool, linen or leather for soft furnishings, complementing the natural hard surfaces. These textures contribute to a layered design that feels warm and comfortable to the touch. For example, Scandinavian-inspired designs frequently rely on natural materials to create minimalist yet cozy environments, underscoring the idea that simplicity does not sacrifice comfort.Fireplaces: The Heart of Cozy DesignTye River Cabinby Olson Kundig, Skykomish, WashingtonIn my view, Frank Lloyd Wright was many things, one of which is the king of fireplaces in architecture. Looking at Wrights work, he always masterfully integrated fireplaces into his designs, making them not just functional features but also key architectural elements that anchored spaces and fostered connection. For Wright, a fireplace symbolized the heart of the home, serving as a focal point that brought warmth both physically and emotionally into his spaces. Few architectural features evoke the feeling of coziness more than a fireplace. Beyond their functional role of providing heat, fireplaces become focal points that anchor a room, drawing people together and promoting relaxation. Whether its a traditional wood-burning hearth or a sleek, modern gas fireplace, this element provides both warmth and a visual glow that enhances the atmosphere of any space.Fireplaces can also be designed as multifunctional architectural features. Built-in shelving units flanking the hearth, for example, can hold books, candles and seasonal dcor, adding a personalized touch. In open-plan homes, double-sided or see-through fireplaces provide warmth to multiple rooms while preserving sight lines, creating seamless connections between spaces. Architects are also increasingly exploring alternative fireplace designs, such as outdoor fire pits connected to interior spaces, extending cozy living to terraces and patios.Layered Lighting for Seasonal AmbianceThe Theatreby Cadaval & Sol-Morales, Barcelona, SpainLighting plays a crucial role in shaping the mood of an interior, particularly in fall and winter when natural light becomes more scarce. Architects and designers often employ a layered approach to lighting, combining ambient, task and accent lighting to achieve a comfortable and dynamic environment. Soft, warm lighting helps counter the coldness of winter, making interiors feel more inviting. While we no longer depend on candles for light, their gentle glow often provides the perfect finishing touch, enriching the atmosphere of a cozy, low-lit winter interior.Incorporating dimmable fixtures allows occupants to adjust the lighting to suit different moods throughout the day. Pendant lights, floor lamps, and table lamps with warm-toned bulbs can create pools of soft light, contributing to a cozy atmosphere. In homes with fireplaces, the flickering glow from the hearth provides a natural, ambient light source, further enhancing the space. Architects may also integrate indirect lighting, such as LED strips beneath shelving or along architectural coves, adding depth and subtle illumination.Spatial Arrangements and Color PalettesNorth Vancouver Houseby Scott & Scott Architects, North Vancouver, CanadaThe way spaces are arranged plays a significant role in creating an inviting environment. Architects often choose to design interiors with a focus on intimacy, promoting a sense of closeness and connection among occupants. For instance, arranging furniture around a central fireplace or coffee table encourages conversation and communal activities. Smaller, well-defined spaces such as reading nooks or alcoves provide opportunities for solitude, offering a retreat within the larger home. Architectural elements such as window seats or built-in benches further contribute to the cozy ambiance, creating spaces where people can relax while enjoying views of the changing seasons outside. In larger homes, zoning strategies like the use of half-walls, screens or partitions can help create cozy pockets within open-plan layouts, balancing openness with comfort.Color also plays a pivotal role in how a space feels, especially during colder months. Warm, earthy tones such as burnt orange, deep browns, forest greens and soft neutrals create interiors that reflect the autumn and winter seasons. These colors evoke a sense of warmth and tranquility, making a space feel more inviting. Accent walls, rugs or upholstered furniture in seasonal hues can inject warmth without overwhelming the space. Neutral backdrops, combined with strategic pops of color, allow homeowners to easily swap out dcor elements as the seasons change. Natural materials, such as wood and stone, complement these palettes by adding warmth and depth to the design.Bringing the Outdoors In Sound and ScentWhistler Cabin by Scott & Scott Architects, Whistler, Canada Connecting interiors with nature remains important even as outdoor spaces become less accessible during colder months. Elements such as indoor plants, natural wood finishes, and stone textures bring the essence of the outdoors inside. Large windows and skylights allow for natural light, framing views of the changing landscape and maintaining a connection to nature.Since were likely not outside as often in the winter months, incorporating seasonal dcor like autumn leaves, pine branches or dried flowers is a popular way to reinforce the seasonal theme and strengthen the connection between indoor and outdoor environments. Incorporating materials that age gracefully, like copper or untreated wood, mirror the natural changes of the seasons and add character to the design. But, a truly cozy interior engages more than just the visual senses.As both designers and homeowners seeking to create cozy, comfortable spaces, we are increasingly recognizing the important role that sound and scent also play in shaping a spaces atmosphere. Wooden floors that creak softly underfoot, the crackling of a fireplace, or the muffled sound of rain outside all contribute to the sensory experience. Scent is another powerful tool for creating ambiance. Homes designed with built-in shelves or ledges for candles or diffusers allow for the easy introduction of seasonal fragrances like cinnamon, pine or vanilla adding to the cozy atmosphere. Architects can also specify natural materials like cedar or leather, which carry their own subtle scents that enhance the sensory richness of the space.Conclusion: Architecture as an Expression of Comfort and Well-BeingDesigning for fall and winter is about more than aesthetics its about creating spaces that promote comfort, well-being, and connection. Through thoughtful use of natural materials, fireplaces, layered lighting, and spatial arrangements, architects can shape interiors that respond to the emotional and sensory needs of the colder seasons. By thoughtfully incorporating design elements that engage all the senses, these spaces transform into havens of warmth and tranquility, providing refuge from the dropping temperatures outside.In todays fast-paced world, the need for cozy, comfortable environments is more relevant than ever. Architects play a unique role in creating spaces that meet this need, whether collaborating with clients or designing their own environments. Their goal is to ensure that homes are not only functional but also nurturing and inspiring, evolving gracefully with the changing seasons.Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.The post The Architecture of Cozy: Designing the Ultimate Cold Weather Interiors appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.In a world increasingly shaped by extreme weather events, architects are embracing the challenge of designing structures that not only withstand high winds but also enhance resilience and sustainability. From typhoon-prone coastlines to hurricane belts and mountain ranges exposed to strong gusts, innovative architecture is emerging to address these forces of nature. High-performance materials, aerodynamic forms and thoughtful siting are becoming critical components in the pursuit of both safety and beauty.Through a curated selection of buildings, we highlight the strategies architects and engineers employ to protect against intense wind events. Projects featured span multiple climates coastal, arid and temperate and showcase an array of construction techniques. In each case, these solutions are tailored to meet local wind conditions, ensuring structural integrity, energy efficiency and occupant comfort. They also balance functionality and aesthetics, proving that buildings designed for wind resistance need not compromise on architectural expression. As climate change intensifies weather patterns globally, these projects offer valuable lessons in resilience, pushing the boundaries of what architecture can achieve.Svencel Kiteboarding and Windsurfing CentreBy DO ARCHITECTS, Svencel, LithuaniaThe kiteboarding and windsurfing center in Svencel transformed a remote kite spot into a vibrant recreational hub in just one summer. Built from 37 portable containers, the project serves as a low-cost prototype for future development, reimagining an abandoned Soviet-era duck farm along Lithuanias Curonian Lagoon. The design responds to the regions strong winds, with the arrangement of containers shaping sheltered spaces for surfers and events. The waterfront buzzes with surf shops, schools and cafes, while inland units offer amenities and lodging. This innovative approach reflects a shift towards flexible urban strategies, proving that bold ideas can thrive even in uncertain times.Cowboy Modern Eco-RetreatBy Jeremy Levine Design, Joshua Tree, CaliforniaInspired by Pioneertowns Old West architecture and the stark desert landscape, the 1,200-square-foot (111 square meters) Cowboy Modern Desert Eco-Retreat is a sustainable family getaway designed to blend with nature. Oriented to minimize solar heat gain, the home was also made to withstand high winds. Built lightly on the land, it uses locally reclaimed lumber, off-site fabricated steel framing, and reflective metal roofing to withstand extreme weather. The wrap-around porch provides 1,000 square feet (92 square meters) of outdoor space, including a grill area, spa and cold cowboy tub. With gray water recycling and planned solar panels, the retreat approaches net-zero sustainability.Moldegaard CabinBy Nordic Office of Architecture, NorwayThis cabin offers sweeping views but faces extreme weather, including hurricane-force winds and large snowfall. Designed to withstand these conditions, the L-shaped structure follows the slope, with bedrooms stepping down along the terrain. Wind protection is key, with the entrance and outdoor areas sheltered from two directions. The design balances function and materiality living spaces and bedrooms are clad in warm wood, while entrances, bathrooms and storage areas feature local stone. Untreated Norwegian pine with high oil content provides natural protection against the harsh climate.Ecotourism Center in FranceBy INCA Architectes, IDF, France The eco-tourism center at the Gorges de Franchard, located within the Fontainebleau forest the largest protected site in France aims to manage visitor traffic while raising awareness of the areas environmental fragility. Designed as a living room in the woods, the buildings smooth, organic forms echo the sites eroded stones and weave gently around preserved trees. Oriented to optimize bioclimatic performance, the structure uses natural materials like wood and shelters key spaces from prevailing winds. Flexible and reversible by design, the center features a large hall for group activities and exhibitions, fostering harmony between public access and forest conservation.College of Life Sciences, Kuwait UniversityBy CambridgeSeven, KuwaitThe College of Life Sciences (COLS) at Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah University City merges art, environment and technology into a collaborative learning space. Its dramatic, angular faade features desert-toned perforated panels that shift in color throughout the day, filtering daylight and blocking harsh southern sun. Inspired by traditional wind towers, the design leverages natural ventilation, with multilevel atria pulling warm air upward and courtyards providing self-shading. The sloped exterior walls minimize solar exposure, while the double-layered roof acts as a heat sink by day and a radiator by night, channeling prevailing winds to cool rooftop systems.Fogo Island Artist StudiosBy Saunders Architecture, Fogo Island, CanadaThe Shorefast Foundation and Fogo Island Arts Corporation commissioned Todd Saunders to design six off-grid artist studios across Fogo Island, blending arts and culture with the islanders traditions. Four studios are complete: the Bridge Studio overlooks an inland pond from a steep hillside, the Tower Studio stands on a rocky coastline in Shoal Bay, the Squish Studio sits near the town of Tilting, and the Long Studio, elevated on stilts, frames a view of the North Atlantic near Joe Batts Arm. Designed to minimize environmental impact, the studios use local materials, transported by hand to remote sites. Wind and solar energy power the structures while the structures themselves are also formed to deflect high winds along the coast.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work throughArchitizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.The post Windswept Designs: 6 Highly Resistant Buildings Built for Highly Windy Sites appeared first on Journal.

These annual rankings were last updated on October 31, 2024. Want to see your firm on next years list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studios ranking.Home to large mountains, vast forests and endless coasts as well as to the native Xhosa and Zulu tribes with a violent colonial history, South Africa has an array of varying landscapes and clashing cultures. Even during its contemporary history, the Apartheid era was responsible for heavily segregating South Africa in multiple of contexts.This countrywide division is apparent to many architectural and urban settings. Spatial inequalities, most commonly found in the city of Johannesburg, as well as the infamous marginalized District Six in Cape Town, are some examples of what challenges local architects currently face. From the beginning of the 21st century these lines of division are gradually being patched up through the design and construction of many notable architectural works, with cultural and residential architecture being the most prominent. Practices prioritize locally sourced materials such as bricks, bamboo and stone, effectively blending them with the surrounding context while supporting local material economies and becoming pioneers in environmental sustainability.With so many architecture firms to choose from, its challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in South Africa based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.How are these architecture firms ranked?The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firms level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firms ranking, in order of priority:The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Project of the Day (2009 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Featured Project (2009 to 2024)The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of South Africa architecture firms throughout the year.Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in South Africa:25. Ruben Reddy Architects PTY Ruben Reddy Architects PTY LTDEstablished in 1988, Ruben Reddy Architects is a balance of seasoned professionals and up and coming young talent, diverse architectural experience, skills and cultural backgrounds, which all merge to create innovative and inspirational design. With a staff of 59, based at six offices around South Africa, Ruben Reddy Architects has an established reputation in sport architecture, healthcare and public sector buildings, as well as extensive experience in large-scale transportation hubs, spatial planning and urban design.We provide a full range of architectural services for projects at both a local and international level. In addition, we have the professional expertise, in-depth knowledge and proven experience to provide the specialist services in sports consulting, sport bid development, and sport event planning, as well as education, healthcare, hospitality and institutional facilities. Service delivery is key to our success. With a team that is solution-driven, we work closely with our Clients and the relevant stakeholders, to produce projects and outcomes, that meet the needs of both the client and the end-user.Some of Ruben Reddy Architects PTYs most prominent projects include:Dennis Hurley Centre (DHC), Durban, South Africa The following statistics helped Ruben Reddy Architects PTY LTD achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 24. Thomas Gouws Architects Thomas Gouws ArchitectsDesign of exclusive contemporary residences, holiday houses, lodges, and selective commercial projects and interiors.Some of Thomas Gouws Architects most prominent projects include:House Jonker, Pretoria, South Africa The following statistics helped Thomas Gouws Architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 23. MMA Design Studio GAPP Architects and Urban Designers, Mashabane Rose Architects, MMA Design StudioMMA Design Studio is a Johannesburg-based award-winning architecture studio founded by owner and architect Mphethi Morojele as MMA Architects CC in 1995. The studio provides professional services in architecture, urban regeneration, design, research and strategic thinking. Our focus is on the ability of design to respond to and enhance the historical and emerging African condition at all levels of human social, cultural, artistic and economic endeavors.Through combining practice with teaching and research we aspire to exceed our clients expectations by providing solutions that not only conform to the brief but can also be measured against the triple bottom line of social, economic and ecological sustainability. Each project goes through a process of cultural, economic and locational diagnostics in order to provide a narrative framework for the organization of the clients aspirations and programmatic requirements. We believe that through a transparent design process the constraints of time and cost are challenges that can positively influence the design process and design outcomes.Some of MMA Design Studios most prominent projects include:Granite House, Johannesburg, South AfricaNew Mathematical Science Building: University of Witwatersrand, Hartbeespoort, South AfricaFreedom Park, Pretoria, South AfricaThe South African Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The following statistics helped MMA Design Studio achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 4 22. BPAS Architects BPAS ArchitectsBPAS Architects is a solutions-focused, multidisciplinary architecture and interior design firm. Our goal is to turn your project from dream to design to reality.We offer wide-ranging experience and expertise combined with adaptive thinking. Our digitalised practice implements top-tier technology at every point of our workflow. Bringing together practical skills and vision, we work to deliver the best results for every project, balancing financial, economic and sustainability factors.Some of BPAS Architects most prominent projects include:Curro Durbanville High School, Cape Town, South AfricaHouse Gouritsrivier, Cape Town, South AfricaCurro Digi-Ed Delft, Delft, Cape Town, South AfricaCurro Durbanville Sporting Facilities, Cape Town, South AfricaClara Anna Fontein 1, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped BPAS Architects achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 21. Metropole Architects Pitcher ArchitectsAs a practice, we are inspired by the energy of the city, as it unceasingly moves, radiates and evolves like a vast living organism.we aim to generate design that stakes out new territory, and explore ideas that are intuitive, inventive, exuberant and daring. enthused by visionary architects like John Lautner and Santiago Calatrava, we aspire to create iconic and progressive architectural wonders that capture our collective imagination.Some of Metropole Architects most prominent projects include:House Brook, Nkwazi, South AfricaALBIZIA HOUSE, Durban, South AfricaAloe Ridge House, Pennington, South AfricaThe Reserve House, Dolphin Coast, South AfricaSalt Rock House, Dolphin Coast, South Africa The following statistics helped Metropole Architects achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 20. BasaboseStudio BasaboseStudioBasaboseStudio (Pty) Ltd is a creative, cross-disciplinary design firm with global reach offering services in different fields of design. Our studio has offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Kinshasa, DR Congo. We create solutions that help each of our clients achieve the materialization of their initial thoughts in a unique collaborative manner. Even though focused on the built environment and livable spaces, each of our projects is executed by pooling any expertise needed from competent sources.Our holistic and collaborative approach encompasses the disciplines of architecture, interior design, graphic design, industrial design, photography, urbanism and associated fields by collaboration. We engage a diverse range of industry market sectors and project types including residential, corporate, cultural, civic, retail, exhibition, entertainment, healthcare and transportation. We are passionate about creating unique, immersive solutions that add value and help our clients achieve their envisioned dreams.Some of BasaboseStudios most prominent projects include:Chapelle de la Grce dans la Clairire, Kasangulu, Democratic Republic of the CongoVilla Rugari, Port-Gentil, GabonLibenge Library & Community Center, Libenge, Democratic Republic of the CongoPlace Du 30 Juin, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoVilla Banalia, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo The following statistics helped BasaboseStudio achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 10 19. Luxury Frontiers Luxury FrontiersLuxury Frontiers, a pioneering design firm, specializes in alternative architecture and interior design for the immersive eco-tourism market. Founded by Luca Franco and Graeme Labe in 2011, Luxury Frontiers is the birthchild of shared passion for experiential and adventure travel. Based in Johannesburg, Luxury Frontiers ethos is rooted in biophilic, nature-centric and sustainable design principles, manifesting in alternative construction methodologies.The team of over 55 radical thinkers, passionate about contextual design and experienced in travel and hospitality. This highly motivated team has been the driving force behind Luxury Frontiers success, propelling it to become a world leader in immersive hospitality design, with projects spanning across six continents.Some of Luxury Frontiers most prominent projects include:The Aman Cabana, Phuket, ThailandThe Turtle Bungalow, The BahamasWilderness Usawa Serengeti, Serengeti, TanzaniaNaviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, MexicoNayara Tented Camp, Costa Rica The following statistics helped Luxury Frontiers achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 11 18. Jenny Mills Architects Jenny Mills ArchitectsLove for form and composition lies at the very heart of our work. We are artists on a quest to sculpt existing spaces in co-operation with nature. Our buildings are exciting and beautiful. They bring something both of ourselves and our clients into the world. We work in close partnership with our clients, focusing on their needs and stylistic preferences.Jennys work has a strong contemporary signature which is not only evident in her work in this genre but is skillfully integrated into both classic and leisure designs to match her clients tastes.Some of Jenny Mills Architects most prominent projects include:Head Road Glamour, Cape Town, South AfricaFranschhoek Mountain Retreat, Franschhoek, South AfricaKates Project The following statistics helped Jenny Mills Architects achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Total Projects 3 17. C76 Architecture and Design C76 Architecture and DesignEstablished in 2014 by Principal Architect Carl Jacobsz, the Johannesburg & Cape Town based C76 Architecture is inspired by expressing sophisticated simplicity, a disciplined yet exciting approach to architecture, which searches creatively for elegance and excellence proven over time promoting quality and timelessness over trend. We look to explore characteristics such as client lifestyle, context, culture and existing environmental conditions for inspiration, with the aim of producing quality South African architecture.Some of C76 Architecture and Designs most prominent projects include:Nike Shapa Soweto, Soweto, South Africa The following statistics helped C76 Architecture and Design achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 16. Vivid Architects Vivid ArchitectsVivid Architects was founded in 1998 by Paolo Viotti and Trevor Versfeld. Imraan Ho-Yee joined the practice as a partner in 2000. Vivid Architects is an established award-winning medium sized design practice that concentrates predominately on medium to large scale commercial developments both locally and internationally. The practice enjoys a good reputation in designing selected upmarket private residential homes.Vivid Architects takes great pride in providing an holistic and comprehensive professional service delivering appropriate and cost effective architectural solutions within the strict parameters of client brief, economic realities, program and budget. Vivid Architects believes firmly in the ethics and importance of a team-based philosophy throughout the design and implementation process and encourages close collaboration of all the disciplines involved.Some of Vivid Architects most prominent projects include:Bridgewater, Cape Town, South AfricaNo.3 Bridgeways, Cape Town, South AfricaCrystal Towers Hotel & Spa, Cape Town, South AfricaNewcastle Mall, Newcastle, South AfricaCitadel Apartments, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped Vivid Architects achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 33 15. Earthworld Architects and Interiors DOOK PhotographyIn the making of meaningful thingsWith our world becoming more and more global virtual and less defined, the need for defining the Heimat has become greater than ever. Meaning has become more important than ever. Falling Waters by Frank Lloyd Wright, built for the Kauffmann Family in the 20s of the twentieth century, transcends the physical to become icons; to become meaningful things. It epitomized progress without being industrial: a symbol of innovation whilst acknowledging the context without trying to imitate or assimilate.Has the role of the architect changed? Are we becoming designers of systems, applying technology or do we create modern cathedrals, structures that transcend reality. Buildings that become icons, gathering meaning rather than being machines. Buildings that becomes central figures in the drama of everyday life.Some of Earthworld Architects and Interiors most prominent projects include:House Mouton, Mamelodi, Pretoria, South AfricaFoghound Interactive Coffee & Showroom, Johannesburg, South AfricaHouse Izeboud, Pretoria, South AfricaTriBeCa Original Restaurant, Pretoria, South AfricaHouse Alto, Tulbagh, South Africa The following statistics helped Earthworld Architects and Interiors achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 8 14. Three14 Architects Three14 ArchitectsThree14 Architects, founded in January 2008, is an award winning studio of creative architects based in Cape Town, South Africa. The focus on designing exclusive luxury homes for discerning clients bringing fresh ideas, rigorous detailing and creativity to the residential arena results in elegant and sophisticated homes that are easy to live in. The office consists of a small, hands-on team taking on a limited number of projects per year. This enables both principal architects to be involved in each project from inception through to completion ensuring an efficient and thorough level of service and a highly considered and always unique end product.Some of Three14 Architects most prominent projects include:OVD525, Cape Town, South AfricaGlen 2961, Cape Town, South AfricaFirth 114802, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped Three14 Architects achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 13. FrankiePappas FrankiePappasImagine we could create a fictional persona a collective pseudonym that allowed us to put aside our egotisms, our blusters, our vanities, and find a group of people whose similar ideals and different talents create beautiful solutions for a remarkable new world. That is frankie: wonderfully similar. beautifully different. Making great public buildings that contribute to a great future. We get together the entire professional team required to find beautiful solutions for a remarkable new world.Some of FrankiePappass most prominent projects include:House of the Tall Chimneys, South AfricaHouse of the Coromandel Legacy, South AfricaHouse of the Big Arch, South AfricaHouse of the Rosebank Health Village, South AfricaHouse of the Pink Spot, South Africa The following statistics helped FrankiePappas achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 5 12. Nicholas Plewman Architects DOOK PhotographyNicholas Plewman Architects was founded and is directed by Nick Plewman. He has welded a life time passion for the wilderness to two decades of design and project management experience in remote and sensitive environments. To this have been banded the skills of qualified architects, project and cost managers and technologists.The practice has completed over 35 projects across Southern and East Africa for both public and private clients and has been published in several books and magazines.Some of Nicholas Plewman Architects most prominent projects include:Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge, North West, BotswanaArijiju, KenyaMorukuru Ocean House, South AfricaThe Waterberg House, Bosveld, LP, South Africa The following statistics helped Nicholas Plewman Architects achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 11. Architecture for a Change (A4AC Architects) Architecture for a Change (A4AC Architects)Architecture for a change (A4AC Architects) is a distinguished architectural firm celebrated for its innovative designs and unwavering commitment to sustainability. Earning accolades such as the SAIA AfriSam Sustainability Awards and securing a commendable top 15% placement in global design competitions, this firm is at the forefront of architectural excellence. Embracing the future, A4AC Architects integrates cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing and AI into its design methodology. Their diverse portfolio, which spans from intimate dwellings to expansive office structures, is marked by a distinctive aesthetic. More than just design, A4AC Architects is deeply invested in social responsibility, exemplified by their impactful initiatives in creating informal housing in townships.Some of Architecture for a Change (A4AC Architects)s most prominent projects include:Mamelodi POD, Pretoria, South AfricaTransition unit, Pretoria, South Africatarlton POD, Johannesburg, South Africa The following statistics helped Architecture for a Change (A4AC Architects) achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 3 10. Inhouse InhouseInhouse provides a comprehensive design and project management service to the commercial, retail, hospitality and leisure industries.Committed to the provision of commercially effective design, we place equal emphasis on creative ideas, their implementation and all commercial constraints, which means that our solutions are always conceived within a practical framework.Since inception in 2002, Inhouse has become one of the largest and most comprehensive design consultancies in South Africa, a growth derived from its commitment to meet clients requirements and provide business minded design solutions in four key disciplines.Some of Inhouses most prominent projects include:Anura Vineyards Event Venue and Bar, Cape Winelands, South Africa95 at Morgenster, Cape Town, South AfricaTravelstart, Cape Town, South AfricaUnion Swiss Head Office, Cape Town, South AfricaWild Clover Breweries, Stellenbosch, South Africa The following statistics helped Inhouse achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 7 9. Daffonchio & Associates Architects Daffonchio & Associates ArchitectsDaffonchio and Associates Architects was established in 1996 by Enrico Daffonchio, who has qualified in Italy and registered with the Italian and South African Councils for the architectural profession. The firm has been active in private, commercial and public projects.The design work focuses on energy efficiency and the awareness of the broader effects that building has on the environment : as well as the way in which proportion, light and color affect peoples mood. Building materials and structural elements are meant to be shown with integrity as graphic and sculptural patterns. Collaborations and joint ventures with other firms, artists and specialists from various disciplines are built specially around the requirements of each project.Some of Daffonchio & Associates Architects most prominent projects include:House 02, Hyde Park, South AfricaHouse 01, Hyde Park , Sandton, South Africa The following statistics helped Daffonchio & Associates Architects achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Total Projects 2 8. Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers Adam Letch PhotographerMeyer & Associates is an integrated, multi-disciplinary practice that incorporates architecture, interior design and urban design competencies into one bespoke spatial design service.The original firm, known as MEYER+VORSTER Architects, Urban Designers and Interior Designers, was founded in 2002. In 2013, the firm was restructured and became known as Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers. It is owned and managed by the founding principal of the practice, Tiaan Meyer. He has over twenty years experience in the architectural and urban design industry and is complemented by a staff of twelve, which include several professionally registered architects, technologists and interior designers. Team members have been hand-picked for their specialist skill-sets and design capabilities.Some of Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers most prominent projects include:Spens Garden Caf & Winkel Gift Shop, South AfricaBothas Halte Primary School, Cape Winelands, South AfricaDunoon Primary School, Cape Town, South AfricaHeideveld Primary School, Cape Town, South AfricaKuyasa Public Transport Interchange, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban Designers achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 7. Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA) Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA)DMMA is located on the second floor of a Grade 1 listed building and has been layed out to best suit the needs of an architectural studio. We enjoy its central city urban location which continues to grow and develop. At VDMMA all members of the team can and must be part of the design process. Production techniques include hand drawn sketching diagrams, research, testing, models and mock-ups, and accessible CAD drawings. We use AutoCAD and BIM/Revit packages where appropriate and also in-house 3D software for testing models and visualization.Our philosophy, since inception, has been to run VDMMA as a Studio and not as a cubicle culture. There are no cellular offices and no private enclaves. Communication in our industry is essential and to this end the open plan studio environment is ideal. All of our professional personnel are Architects, assisted by a limited number of Intern Architects.Some of Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA)s most prominent projects include:Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South AfricaTree House, Cape Town, South AfricaUniversity of Cape Town: Middle Campus, Cape Town, South AfricaMountain House, Cape Town, South AfricaDe Beers Headquarters, Johannesburg, South Africa The following statistics helped Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects (VDMMA) achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 11 6. SALT Architects Southland Photography - David SavageSALT Architects is a design studio based in Cape Town, pursuing Imagination, Humility and Commitment as core values, toward Innovating Meaningful Possibilities.Our optimistic team provides innovative solutions while remaining contextually and conceptually relevant. Our office is experienced in all stages of a projects development from conceptual design to completed construction. We constantly pursue work on a variety of building types and sizes, ensuring an inquisitive approach to allow opportunities to advance traditional patterns.We are committed to designing memorable buildings delivered through effective project management.Some of SALT Architects most prominent projects include:Calling Academy Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South AfricaAthlone Wastewater Plant Control Centre and Blower House Complex, Cape Town, South AfricaNew Visitors Centre & Public Toilet for the South African Astronomical Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped SALT Architects achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 5. CS Studio Design.Develop.Build - GA Tech | PBSA | RWTHCS Studio Architects has developed a way in which they work which is focused on listening to the clients or end users. This is an interactive and participative process. Each project demands its own activities. Interactive processes are a powerful tool in any design phase as it allows everyone to have a say and often leads to much better spatial solutions. By listening to people, the architect is provided with a wealth of information to feed into the design process. role players are empowered and they take ownership of their design decisions.Some of CS Studios most prominent projects include:Guga SThebe Childrens Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped CS Studio achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Winner 2 A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 4. Elphick Proome Architecture Elphick Proome ArchitectureElphick Proome Architecture was established in 1989 and has grown to become a leading architectural firm in South Africa. Committed to architectural excellence, we strive to create exciting buildings, environments and spaces that respond to the unique nature of each project with integrity and purpose. Our philosophy emphasises an architecture that responds to context, region and climate and is enduring, innovative and functional. We endeavour to design intelligent solutions which rise to the diverse challenges of our social and economic context and make a significant contribution to the African reality.Some of Elphick Proome Architectures most prominent projects include:Grit Head Office, Grand Baie, MauritiusHouse Mansfield, Westville, South AfricaHouse F, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaDurban Christian Centre, Durban, South AfricaRooiels House, Rooi-Els, South Africa The following statistics helped Elphick Proome Architecture achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 13 3. dhk dhkdhk has established a leading reputation as a design led multi-disciplinary company which incorporates architecture, urban design and interior design. More than 100 people contribute to the success of the company across these three disciplines making dhk one of the largest architectural practices in South Africa.dhks integrated approach to design in the built environment, coupled with innovative and cost effective design solutions, has garnered international recognition with projects spanning across four continents.Some of dhks most prominent projects include:Battery Park, Cape Town, South Africa32 on Kloof, Cape Town, South AfricaMove Hotel, Mogliano, ItalyDrostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet, South AfricaEllipse Waterfall, GP, South Africa The following statistics helped dhk achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 25 2. Nico van der Meulen Architects Nico van der Meulen ArchitectsNico van der Meulen Architects in Johannesburg, South Africa, is well known for designing ultra luxury dream homes all around the world. The architectural practice focuses on designing innovative, functional luxurious homes, both contemporary and traditional, tailored to enrich their clients quality of life.The company remains at the forefront of design by exploring new forms, pushing the boundaries and evolving with technology, without compromising on the authenticity of the design, aesthetics, materials and originality.While creating unique homes for unique tastes, the firm strives to capture every clients vision and express it through breath-taking bespoke designs.Some of Nico van der Meulen Architects most prominent projects include:House Sar , Sandton, South AfricaHouse BerHouse Lam, Germiston, South AfricaHouse Abo , South AfricaHouse The The following statistics helped Nico van der Meulen Architects achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 32 1. SAOTA SAOTASAOTA, a leading studio of architects is driven by the dynamic combination of Stefan Antoni, Philip Olmesdahl, Greg Truen, Phillippe Fouch, Mark Bullivant, Roxanne Kaye and Logen Gordon who share a potent vision easily distinguished in their practices. This, paired with both an innovative and dedicated approach to the design, documentation and execution of projects globally, has seen SAOTA become an internationally sought-after brand.SAOTA has a global footprint with projects on six continents. We have a clear understanding of the place of design in the world and how to deliver architectural projects in diverse markets. This success is driven by a design philosophy that connects function and form, and the pursuit of true architectural design to create appropriate solutions.Some of SAOTAs most prominent projects include:Top image: OVD 919, Cape Town, South AfricaUpper Albert , Cape Town, South AfricaCliff House, Dakar, SenegalNettleton 198Nettelton 199 Clifton, Cape Town, South Africa The following statistics helped SAOTA achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 28 Why Should I Trust Architizers Ranking?With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the worlds largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the worlds best architecture each year.Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlightedA Guide to Project AwardsThe blue + badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizers Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a projects likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:Project completed within the last 3 yearsA well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphsArchitectural designwith a high level of both functional and aesthetic valueHigh quality, in focus photographsAt least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the buildingInclusion of architectural drawings and renderingsInclusion of construction photographsThere are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizers Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.Were constantly look for the worlds best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please dont hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.The post 25 Best Architecture Firms in South Africa appeared first on Journal.

The Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 13th A+Awards is Friday December 6th! This season we're spotlighting the talent of architects who expertly balance global challenges with local needs. Start your entry.Antoni Gaud and Zaha Hadid worked in distinct periods of architectural history, each leaving a lasting impact on the field. Despite their different eras, they shared a connection in their embrace of organic, fluid forms, challenging the rigidity and linearity of conventional architecture.Gaud, who worked during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was influenced by natures geometries. He shaped his extraordinary buildings using catenary arches, hyperbolic paraboloids and fractal patterns. Constructions, such as La Sagrada Famlia and Casa Batll, mimic natural forms, creating harmonious spaces that challenged the architectural norms of his time.Zaha Hadid, a pioneering architect of the 21st century, also sought to break free from conventional architectural forms. Her use of parametric design tools allowed her to create dynamic structures that echo the fluidity and complexity of nature. Buildings like the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, demonstrate her ability to use parametric design to push the boundaries of architecture.Gaud used nature-inspired geometries and craftsmanship, while Hadid used advanced computational algorithms and AI-driven design methods. Their innovative approaches revolutionized how we understand form and space in architecture while showcasing the creative potential of the tools and techniques available in their respective times, inspiring generations of architects.Challenging NormsRooftop of La Pedrera or Casa Mil (1906-1912) by Antoni Gaud. Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. | Photo by Photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz via Pexels.Antoni Gauds desire to find a different path in architecture was primarily encouraged by his vision of nature as the ultimate foundation for all creation coupled with his deep spirituality; secondly, his departure from conventional architectural norms was influenced by the evolving cultural landscape at the end of the 19th century and early 20th.Gaud was considered a prominent figure of Modernisme the regional Catalan variant of Art Nouveau, not to be mistaken for Modernism, the broader international movement. Also, during Gauds time, architectural trends such as Neoclassicism, Gothic Revival and Arts and Crafts dominated the cultural and aesthetic landscape. The Industrial Revolution also played a significant role, introducing new materials and building methods that influenced architecture. Gaud, however, rejected the architectural norms that emphasized classical forms, symmetry and proportions. He viewed them as movements that lacked creativity and didnt reflect the changing character of society and technological progress.Unable to find inspiration and motivation in these movements, Gaud turned to nature. His fascination with natures forms and structures, which he studied passionately, led him to develop biomimetic designs, which became his distinctive signature. His connection to nature, rejection of traditional styles and strong spiritual beliefs set him on a path that distinguished him from many of his contemporaries.en:User:Sandstein, a.k.a.User:TheBernFiles,Vitra fire station (1993), full view, Zaha Hadid,CC BY-SA 3.0Similarly, Zaha Hadid rejected the rigid, orthogonal forms that shaped much of the 20th-century architectural landscape. She also challenged modernist functionalism and the form follows function principle, arguing that this design approach limited aesthetic freedom. Instead, she embraced dynamic and sinuous forms. Hadid demonstrated that architecture could be expressive and functional with her sculptural designs. Her iconic wavy and sharply angular forms are a beacon of creative freedom, challenging the conventions of how buildings can be seen and used.Hadid has cited natural landscapes, such as rivers, dunes, and geological formations, as a major influence on her work. However, she also drew from avant-garde art movements like Russian Suprematism and Deconstructivism (as anyone familiar with her conceptual design for the Irish Prime Ministers residence in Dublin can attest). The Vitra Fire Station exemplifies her interest in these movements, with abstract, irregular and fragmented geometries as key design elements showcasing her departure from conventional architecture.Architectural Organicism: Gaud and Hadids Biomimetic Design ApproachesLa Pedrera or Casa Mil by Antoni Gaud. Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. | Photo by Manuel Torres Garcia via Unsplash.Gaud and Hadid explored the creative possibilities of organic shapes and complex geometries through organicism, designing structures that seemingly grew with their environment and evoking organic forms.Biomimicry or biomimetics, central to Gauds aesthetic and deeply rooted in the natural world, served as both an aesthetic and structural guide. Gaud saw the curves of plants, the branching of trees, the skeletal structures of animals and shells not just as beautiful but also structurally efficient.He developed building technology for hyperboloid structures that curve as they extend upwards, mimicking trees or caves, structures that felt as if they had emerged organically from the earth. In the Sagrada Famlia, Gaud incorporated tree-like columns and branching structures that reflected natural elements structural efficiency and aesthetic qualities. Buildings like Casa Batll and La Pedrera also known as Casa Mil showcase his commitment to natural shapes, where fluid lines and textured surfaces evoke the forms of waves, plants and bones.Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Arts Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects. Changsha, China. | Photo by Virgile Simon Bertrand via Architizer.Hadids exploration of biomimicry and organicism differed from Gauds in its reliance on AI-driven design tools, but it is precisely this technology that enabled her to refine her works. Even after her untimely death, the fluidity and dynamism of the architecture constructed by the firm she left behind is distinct; they often resemble natural topographies and flowing waters. Their buildings are deeply organic and at the same time, futuristic. For instance, the wavy forms of the Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Arts Centre, where fluidity is a defining design element, exemplify her commitment to nature-inspired architecture.Organicism was, however, not the only focus of Hadids designs, but part of a broader architectural vision. Hadid also embraced parametricism to explore movement and dynamism, taking design to a more abstract level.Organic Architecture: Gauds Handcrafted Models vs. Hadids Digital ToolsAntoni Gauds plumb line model for La Sagrada Famlia. | Photo by Stuart Madeley via Flickr.While Gaud relied on manual methods and handcrafted models to explore natures organic geometries, Hadid used advanced computational tools to achieve similar results. They both created buildings that evoke a sense of movement and natural growth. Their work demonstrates how organicism and biomimicry can be adapted to different times and technologies, each using nature as a guide to optimize both beauty and functionality in architecture.Gaud did not rely exclusively on two-dimensional drafting unlike most of his contemporaries. He experimented with clay, rock, rope and paper to build hanging chain models. This technique allowed him to explore catenary curves to determine the most structurally efficient form without the benefit of digital computation. Through these manual processes, Gaud created extraordinary structures and his pioneering use of materials like reinforced concrete and iron enabled him to produce structurally groundbreaking forms.Model by Zaha Hadid Architects for the Parametric Tower Research exhibition at The AIT ArchitekturSalon, Cologne, Germany, 2012 | Photo by Forgemind ArchiMedia via Flickr.Zaha Hadid, by contrast, worked in the digital era, where she leveraged parametric design tools to infuse her architecture with a level of fluidity and dynamism unimaginable in Gauds time. Her sculptural designs relied on optimization algorithms and 3D modeling software. Where Gaud built physical models to experiment with complex geometries, Hadid used computational software like Rhino and Maya to simulate and iterate on fluid, organic shapes. Her exploration of parametricism, a design approach that allows for the manipulation of multiple variables to optimize form, enabled her to create sharply angular and wave-like structures that dynamically respond to their environment. Hadids digital optimization ensured that her forms were visually striking and structurally efficient, much like Gauds gravity-driven catenary curves, but taken to a more abstract and technologically advanced level.AI-driven Design Tools to Extend Gaud and Hadids LegaciesArtists illustration using AI. | Image by Google DeepMind via Pexels.Gaud, who worked in the pre-digital age, used innovative approaches to geometry and physics that resonate with modern parametric design principles. His complex constructions were groundbreaking for their time. Hadid, on the other hand, used AI-driven design tools to explore and enhance organic principles. Her buildings, characterized by flowing surfaces, would most likely be impossible to create without parametric technology.As AI continues to evolve, it has the potential to extend Gaud and Hadids legacies, expanding architectures creative horizons. However, this raises questions about its broader impact on architectural practice: Will AI democratize design, breaking down barriers or will it reinforce disparities in the field? These disparities could arise from factors such as automation and job displacement, or the need for specialized training and tools that some firms may be unable to afford.AIs integration into architecture presents a unique opportunity to reflect on these challenges as we explore how the principles championed by Gaud and Hadid can inspire future generations of architects.The Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 13th A+Awards is Friday December 6th! This season we're spotlighting the talent of architects who expertly balance global challenges with local needs. Start your entry.Top image: Rooftop architecture by Antoni Gaudi at the famous La Pedrera (Casa Mila) in Barcelona, Spain via PickPikThe post Biomimicry and Parametricism: A Design Legacy Spanning From Anton Gaud To Zaha Hadid appeared first on Journal.

For over a decade, Architizers A+Awards have been championing architectural excellence worldwide. This year, the program celebrates local innovation with global recognition. Click to enter before the Main Entry Deadline on Friday December 6th.First there was private housing, the epitome of creative freedom for architects. In materializing the dreams of (usually wealthy) private clients, architects elevated a simple residential design into an architectural masterpiece. Some examples include Peter Salters Walmer Yard a 22 million development Mies Van der Rohes Farnsworth House and Frank Loyd Wrights Falling Water. However, in the last couple of years, a new residential challenge has increasingly been brought to the forefront of architectural discourse: the need for well-designed social housing.Social housing was once regarded as a cheap design, usually found in ugly towers filled with flats that were frequently dark and cold and not at all inviting. Nowadays, following the rise of community living, social housing is gradually becoming associated with well-thought-out architectural proposals, quality construction and even sustainable design. Apart from public building projects, it is one other typology that does not chase profit, thus promoting design experimentation, an emphasis on well-being as well as groundbreaking progress on self-operating building technologies.54 social housing in IncaBy Fortuny-Alventosa Morell Arquitectes, Mallorca, SpainJury Winner, Sustainable Multi-Unit Residential Building, 12th Annual A+ Awards, The project consists of 54 social protection homes. It addresses two fundamental aspects of social housing design: the seamless integration of a building into its context and the synthesis of hybrid functions across space. The housing modules are organised around a central core that promotes social gatherings, while each individual home has a patio, a terrace or a private garden. The project also incorporates a series of passive house strategies to reduce the energy demand for heating and cooling and maximizes the natural light that enters the space.Social-housing unitsBy Atelier du Pont, Paris, France This project is tightly situated in-between dense, adjoining housing. Its L shape and architectural morphology creates a collective garden at the ground floor level, planted with tall trees. The complex features flats, terraces with unobstructed views and townhouses integrated harmoniously into one, consecutive volume. The faade is clad with black enamel terracotta tiles whose reflections change depending on the quality and direction of the light, establishing a continuity with the existing Toit et Joie designed by Philippe Gazeau in 1993.159 Social Housing CarabanchelBy TAAs, Madrid, Spain Despite its urban character, the project is located close to big city voids that act as urban heat sinks. As a result, the building is divided in two pieces that form two interior plazas, fostering social interactions. Escalating stands connect the open spaces with the flats, leading to a morphology that is heavily influenced by Madrids Northwestern nocturnal cool winds, ensuring the buildings climatic performance. The citys material culture is transferred to the structure, featuring local stones as well as concrete blocks that are highly durable and require little maintenance.62 Social Housing, the SquBy GARDERA-D, Bayonne, France Contrary to the usual norm, this social housing complex is situated in the countryside, addressing questions about community living in nature. The project is highly contextual, featuring spaces such as large balconies and traversing houses that take advantage of the surrounding landscape. In parallel, its simple, compact and modular structure ensures both a technical and economic efficiency in construction.Social Housing RomeaBy PICCO architetti, Ravenna, Italy The project links seamlessly to the existing urban fabric. Apart from the numerous blocks of flats, its layout configuration constructs a series of outdoor areas such as gardens, paths, parking lots all of which are defined by trees that acts as a natural barrier between the social housing complex and the city. The materials are comprised of concrete, metallic elements and timber.10 social housing unitsBy Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes, Paris, France This project is immediately aligned with the neighbourhoods urban character and density via its scale and materiality and establishes a visual continuity with the buildings opposite. The street faade is a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Parisian architecture, while the shape of the building forms an interior courtyard, with an open-air staircase that provides access to the housing units. Finally, the building is part of a Cerqual type A certification process, with low-energy consumption design and reinforced insulation to comply the primary energy standard.16 social housing for Granollers town hallBy ONL, arquitectura, Granollers, Spain The conceptual strategy of the project was to design an exterior faade that seeks abstraction through colour, rhythm and movement and which contrasts the domestic, private life occurring in its interior. A series of movable panels become the dominant aesthetic element, while also serving as a filter that controls the level of privacy and the natural light entering the interior space. The apartments are double-sided, having access to both the street and a central courtyard, while a service core provides all the necessary functions to its inhabitants.Fortunately, the preconceptions of social housing have been gradually fading, giving way to new interpretation of how these, fundamental, building typologies can be addressed, both in terms of architectural design, sustainable construction, contextual integration and, of course, social impact.Featured Image: 54 social housing in Inca by Fortuny-Alventosa Morell Arquitectes, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Jury Winner, 2024 A+ Awards, Built Sustainable Multi-Unit Residential Building For over a decade, Architizers A+Awards have been championing architectural excellence worldwide. This year, the program celebrates local innovation with global recognition. Click to enter before the Main Entry Deadline on Friday December 6th.The post Eliminating Social Hierarchies: 7 European Architects Making Social Housing the New Creative Norm appeared first on Journal.

With a diverse jury of global experts and a global voting public, Architizer's A+Awards champions firms around the world. Get your work in front of the industry's best by starting your submission today.When you hear the phrase adaptive reuse, what comes to mind? Perhaps its the familiar image of a warehouse-turned-loft or an old factory-turned-art gallery textbook cases of repurposing buildings where the structure remains largely intact. But adaptive reuse isnt always so straightforward. It exists on a spectrum, with projects ranging from practical updates that subtly extend a buildings use to radical transformations that change its purpose entirely.At its core, adaptive reuse is about more than just preserving what exists its about reimagining what a space can become.This idea was the focus of two talks at Future Fest 2024. Whereas MVRDVs Atelier Gardens in Berlin is a playful redesign that turns an old campus into a lively community space, PAUs The Refinery in Brooklyn is a bold project that preserves the industrial heritage of the Domino Sugar complex while taking an unexpected and radical approach to its transformation.Inspired by the two talks, this article explores how these two projects take a different approach to adaptive reuse one using lively updates to refresh a space, the other taking a radical path to reimagine a historic building from within literally. Readers will also find opportunities to access the full recordings of the two Future Fest talks, 100% free.MVRDVs Take: A Creative Statement with a PurposeIt always feels good to be recognized for something youve worked on for so long, reflected Klaas Hofman, senior associate at MVRDV, during his talk at Future Fest, which focused on an A+Award-winning adaptive reuse project in Berlin. Hofman explained that although many of the firms projects gain global recognition, its usually the ones considered more iconic.And when we worked on this project, not many people even in the office knew about it. Its a very sympathetic project, working with very small interventions. There are a lot of hidden qualities here that dont scream out loud that this is award-winning architecture.Haus 1 Atelier Gardens by MVRDV, Berlin, GermanyHAUS 1 is part of the Atelier Gardens project, transforming the BUFA film studios at Tempelhof Airport into a campus for activists, creatives and organizations focused on social and environmental change. MVRDV embraced a light-touch approach to adaptive reuse, focusing on keeping the buildings structure intact while upgrading its use and sustainability features.Register to Access RecordingInside, the redesign introduced adaptable workspaces, meeting rooms and a caf, with new insulation, underfloor heating and energy-efficient lighting to improve the buildings environmental footprint. Water-saving systems using recycled rainwater were also installed, ensuring the building aligns with the campuss sustainability goals.Before and After / Haus 1 Atelier Gardens by MVRDV, Berlin, GermanyHaus 1 Atelier Gardens by MVRDV, Berlin, GermanyThe decision to paint the entire building yellow gave it a new identity. Initially, only the new elements were going to be painted, but the client felt a stronger statement was needed. Yellow was chosen to contrast with the surrounding tones and reflect a sense of happiness, brightness and vibrancy.The addition of the rooftop pavilion and staircase further redefined the buildings role. Originally, the roof was inaccessible, but the team saw an opportunity. This is the highest building on site and we saw that it was a missed opportunity if we did not provide access to the rooftop somehow, Hofman said. We convinced the client to let the public enjoy this beautiful view. So we proposed this pavilion on top, sitting in the roof garden and added this staircase. This allowed for the rooftop to become a public destination without interfering with the internal logistics of the building.Haus 1 Atelier Gardens by MVRDV, Berlin, GermanyHaus 1 Atelier Gardens by MVRDV, Berlin, GermanyThe zig-zagging staircase wrapping around the building became a key feature, serving both as a functional fire escape and a public gathering space. The zig-zag stairs became quite an expressive element something the client was looking for, Hofman noted. Along the stairs, small chairs and tables encourage visitors to sit, meet and relax. Over time, as trees grow around it, the staircase will meander through greenery, offering a peaceful space for visitors to connect with nature.The transformation of HAUS 1 shows how adaptive reuse doesnt always need radical interventions to have radical impact. By working within the existing structure, MVRDV gave the building a completely new identity and purpose, using color as one of the mail tools to achieve impactful results.Register to Access RecordingPAUs Take: Radical Reuse and the Art of Layering HistoryAt Future Fest 2024, Vishaan Chakrabarti, Founder and Creative Director of PAU, shared his perspective on adaptive reuse through what he describes as the architecture of the palimpsest. This concept reflects the idea that cities, buildings and communities are composed of many layers of history that should not be erased but carried forward. Chakrabarti emphasized that adaptive reuse applies not just to individual structures but to entire urban environments, allowing their historical narratives to evolve rather than be wiped clean.What this image conjures is this notion that when we think about progress, we dont think about it as a blank slate, like they did in the 20th century, but as layers of history, like a palimpsest, where you pull the past forward with you into the future. And we try to do that with all our work, he explained.The Refinery at Domino by Practice for Architecture & Urbanism | PAU, Brooklyn, New YorkThis philosophy guided PAUs transformation of the Domino Sugar Refinery, where the team inserted a new building within the historic structure, respecting the sites industrial heritage while creating spaces fit for modern use.Register to Access RecordingWe did this drawing to explain to the landmarks commission and the public what this building was. That it was an envelope for machinery. The fenestration, the faade, was largely fake the windows didnt correlate to specific levels, but to the machinery inside.The Refinery at Domino by Practice for Architecture & Urbanism | PAU, Brooklyn, New YorkRather than trying to force modern functions into a structure not built for human use, PAU chose a bold approach: they would insert a brand-new building within the historic shell, leaving a 10-12 foot gap between the old masonry and the new interior. This design allowed them to create office floors with standardized heights, improving accessibility and functionality while celebrating the original architecture.The design process for the architecture of the palimpsest must begin by reading the layers of history before we lay in the contemporary. We began by reading the historic structure, specifically the masonry facade. A comprehensive masonry survey was conducted to ensure that what we were proposing was appropriate and would in no way compromise the buildings integrity, Ruchika Modi, Principal at PAU explained.The Refinery at Domino by Practice for Architecture & Urbanism | PAU, Brooklyn, New YorkDuring their talk, Modi also went over structural and engineering details, offering deeper insights into how PAU brought this ambitious vision to life.Register to Access RecordingThe perimeter atrium between the old and new walls now serves as a light-filled space with hanging gardens, where visitors can appreciate both the historic brickwork and views of the East River and Manhattan through the original windows. The design preserves the industrial grit and patina of the old facade while providing modern comfort within.At the top of the building, the new addition culminates in The Vault, a glass barrel-vaulted penthouse with 360-degree views of the city. This rooftop event space draws inspiration from the original buildings American Round Arch style and allows visitors to interact with the iconic smokestack and neon sign.The Refinery at Domino by Practice for Architecture & Urbanism | PAU, Brooklyn, New YorkThe Refinery at Domino by Practice for Architecture & Urbanism | PAU, Brooklyn, New YorkPAUs approach exemplifies how adaptive reuse can go beyond preservation by introducing entirely new functions while respecting the history embedded within a space. Their design not only revitalizes the Refinery but also connects it to the larger urban fabric, ensuring the building remains relevant and useful for generations to come.Improvise, Adapt, OvercomeFrom Berlins Atelier Gardens, where small interventions breathe new life into a creative campus, to Brooklyns Domino Refinery, where an entirely new building emerges within historic walls, these projects showcase the spectrum of adaptive reuse. Whether through subtle updates or radical transformations, each project serves as a reminder that architecture evolves by building on the layers of the past, creating spaces that are relevant, functional and future-ready.With a diverse jury of global experts and a global voting public, Architizer's A+Awards champions firms around the world. Get your work in front of the industry's best by starting your submission today.The post From Berlin to Brooklyn: A Tale of Two Adaptive Reuse Transformations appeared first on Journal.

The Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, December 6. Get your brand in front of the AEC industrys most renowned designers by submitting today.Founded on the principles of transparency and collaboration, Sentech Architectural Systems has spent years pioneering new possibilities in glass architecture. Their portfolio includes highly engineered solutions like structural glass fin walls, tension truss systems, all-glass stairways and bespoke canopies. Beyond manufacturing, Sentech also provides consulting services to architects, helping unlock the potential of complex projects by balancing design vision with budget constraints. By combining operational excellence with a collaborative approach to problem-solving, they create beautiful designs that stand the test of time.This year, Sentech secured two major wins in the Architizer A+Product Awards. Their innovative product VetraSpan-L earned the prestigious Jury Winner accolade in the Glass & Glazing category, in recognition of its sophisticated approach to structural glass systems. In addition, VetraSky, a standout product in glass skylights and canopies, captured the Popular Choice Award in the Windows & Skylights category a testament to the publics enthusiasm for cutting-edge design solutions.These achievements underscore the companys impact on the architectural and glazing industries, delivering products that blend precision engineering with aesthetics. As the industry shifts toward lightweight, visually seamless structures, products like VetraSpan-L and VetraSky represent not just technical innovation, but a commitment to shaping the future of built environments.Enter A+Product AwardsDenver Art Museum Martin Building Revitalization and ExpansionBy Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti, Denver, Colorado The Denver Museum of Arts Sie Welcome Center is a groundbreaking example of structural glass engineering, featuring an elliptical faade made from 25-foot-tall (7.5 meter), 8-foot-wide (2.5 meter) curved glass panels the first design of its kind to use jumbo curved panels with seismic considerations. Designed by Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti as part of a campus-wide revitalization, the Welcome Center connects the museums iconic Gio Ponti, Daniel Libeskind, and Michael Graves buildings.The faade emphasizes transparency and simplicity, using minimal metal components and structural glass fins to streamline installation. This collaborative effort between architects, engineers, and contractors demonstrates the power of teamwork in creating innovative, elegant design solutions.Sir John A. Macdonald BuildingBy NORR Architects & MTBA Associates, Inc., Ottawa, CanadaThe former Bank of Montreal, a federally classified heritage building, has been transformed alongside an adjacent lot into the Confederation Room for the House of Commons, a modern conference facility for various functions. The design restores the banks historic grandeur while introducing a contemporary pavilion, separated by a glass-enclosed atrium that maintains views of the original west faade and serves as a public lobby with vertical circulation.The pavilion features Sentechs VetraFin system, utilizing insulated glass panels supported by vertical fins and complemented by bronze fittings, granite, and walnut, harmonizing with the heritage architecture. A striking all-glass atrium skylight, connected by bronze-clad steel brackets, floods the interiors with natural light, while the upper pavilion enhances the urban context across from Parliament Hill, and the lower level gracefully accommodates the sloped elevation of Wellington Street with accessible ramps and stairs.Block 185By Pelli Clarke & Partners, Austin, TexasBlock 185, known as Austins Google Tower, rises 35 stories with a sail-like design that emphasizes creativity, transparency, and openness. At its base, the building features Sentechs VetraFin-G System, a structural glass faade supported by glass fins, using approximately 2,769 square feet of low-iron tempered insulated glass with SGP laminate and curved panels.The design team overcame complex engineering challenges, including corner panel transitions and flexible joint configurations to handle movement. Completed in 2022 and LEED Platinum-certified, Block 185 makes a striking architectural statement.Environmental Science Building (B12N) at Skyline CollegeBy DES Architects + Engineers, San Bruno, California The award-winning Environmental Science Building (B12N) at Skyline College in San Bruno, California, features a stunning 22-foot (6.7 meter) jumbo clear span glass faade that offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Coast, making it the first building on campus to showcase ocean vistas. This vibrant space hosts educational activities, community events, and student art displays, with the main gallery serving as a hub for academic and public engagement while enhancing the connection between campus life and the surrounding landscape.Designed with Sentechs VetraSpan clear span faade system, the building achieves full transparency without additional support structures, meeting Californias seismic demands and Title 24 energy efficiency standards. The insulated glass panels are seismically isolated to manage inter-story drift, while precision perimeter connections ensure glass deformation is controlled under wind loads. This seamless faade not only addresses technical challenges but also inspires students, faculty, and visitors with its expansive views, fostering learning and a shared vision for the future.Tennessee FarmhouseBy Meyer Davis Studio Inc., Tennessee Meyer Davis designed this modern interpretation of a hunting lodge by studying iconic Modernist residences, emphasizing a strong connection between architecture and landscape. Set on a grass plinth in the rolling hills of Tennessee, the home serves as a geometric representation of the topography, acting as a glass box that maximizes panoramic views. Using Sentechs VetraSpan System, the design achieves uninterrupted transparency with structural glass panels that support themselves without additional out-of-plane reinforcement.Inspired by Philip Johnsons Glass House and Richard Neutras Kaufmann House, the residence blends sleek modern lines with expansive glass walls, creating seamless indoor-outdoor living. Luxury is reflected in every detail, from a glass-enclosed bathroom with wrap-around vistas to corridors that feel like exterior rooms, offering layered views that engage the observer from every angle.Salesforce TowerBy Pelli Clarke & Partners, Chicago, Illinois Salesforce Tower, the final phase of the Wolf Point masterplan by Pelli Clarke & Partners, rises 57 stories and 850 feet (260 meters) at 333 Wolf Point Plaza in Chicagos River North neighborhood, offering 1.2 million square feet of prime office space, with Salesforce occupying half a million square feet. Designed for the post-pandemic workforce, the tower emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and sustainability, integrating urban connectivity with scenic views of the Chicago River.Sentechs VetraFin glass faade enhances the 2-story lobby with openness and natural light, using over 13,530 square feet (1,255 square meters) of structural glass, including vestibules and elevator enclosures made from low-iron, laminated glass. The precision-engineered cantilevered glass fin wall, suspended from level 3, ensures seamless integration with the towers modern design while accommodating deflection and maintaining strict elevational tolerances.Follow in the footsteps of Sentech and other innovative brands by entering this years A+Product Awards and receive major industry recognition from architects and designers worldwide:Enter A+Product AwardsThe Main Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, December 6. Get your brand in front of the AEC industrys most renowned designers by submitting today.The post Jumbo Glass: 6 Crystalline Examples of Structural Glazing With Sentech appeared first on Journal.

For centuries, the Netherlands has been a global design innovator; Dutch architects have long pushed the rest of the world to rethink what architecture can and should do. Hollands contemporary building culture is no different, exemplified by the Delft-based design powerhouse Mecanoo. With its earliest projects focusing on social housing and urban renewal, the firm built its foundation with a strong user focus. They have made their name by designing buildings that are inextricable from their surroundings and demonstrating the power of design to open new possibilities for society. The key to Mecanoos change-making designs is a strong interdisciplinary approach architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture and interior design applied across typologies.Founded in 1984, this year marked 40 change-making years for the firm. And now, with an impressive list of recently completed projects and construction underway on a bevy of ambitious new designs, Mecanoo has been named Architizers Firm of the Year for the 12th Annual A+Awards. The firm will officially receive its prestigious prize at Architizers A+Awards Gala in Chengdu this November. Stay tuned for more coverage!More About A+AwardsIf Mecanoos work were encapsulated by a single word, it would be connection. Their structures are not only conceived to connect with a larger urban or environmental context, but they are also bridges from our contemporary moment to a better future; they also cultivate links between users and communities and the firms collaborative spirit now across borders as they tackle global projects connects cultures. Indeed, their projects are remarkable in how they distill the global nature of contemporary building culture down to a contextually local level, always bringing something new to the table.In the following interview, we sat down with Nuno Fontarra, an Associate Partner who has been with Mecanoo for over twenty years, to reflect on the firms past, present and future achievements.Macau Central Library byMecanoo, MacaoTell us a little about your story how did you get started? How did your firm grow? It all started from Mecanoos journey started in 1984 with a group of passionate students driven by creativity and the ambition to make a difference. 40 years later, while the firm has evolved, its mission remains unwavering: to design inspiring spaces that connect communities, adapt to future needs and remain socially relevant. Guided by our core philosophy of People, Place, Purpose, and Poetry.From the beginning, our focus has been on creating architecture that not only stands out for its beauty and functionality but also connects deeply with its surroundings and the communities it serves. This philosophy has guided us as weve continued to explore new ideas and embrace a multidisciplinary approach.Over the years, our team has expanded to include talented professionals from over 25 different nationalities. This diversity has been at the core of our success, bringing a rich variety of perspectives to every project we undertake and allowing us to design with a global mindset. Today, Mecanoo has a strong global presence, working on projects that span continents, yet we remain true to our Dutch roots. Our ability to adapt, innovate and engage with the unique cultural and social contexts of each location has been central to our evolution. This blend of local insight and global perspective has transformed Mecanoo from a Dutch firm into an internationally recognized architectural practice.National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts (Wei-Wu-Ying) by Mecanoo, Kaohsiung, TaiwanLooking back, which of your projects do you feel was the most significant to the firms development and why?Looking back, I would say the Library Delft University of Technology, completed in 1998, stands out as one of the most significant projects in Mecanoos oeuvre. At the time, there wasnt as much emphasis on sustainable architecture as there is today, but with this project, we were able to push boundaries and set a precedent for integrating sustainable design into large-scale public buildings.The librarys green roof was truly innovative for its time. Back in the time, the concept of green integration wasnt new, however, how we executed it with a fully accessible, sloping grass roof that not only insulated the building but also created a recreational space for students and the public wasunprecedented.Library Delft University of Technology by Mecanoo, Delft, The NetherlandsThis combination of landscape, architecture and sustainability, all within an educational environment, was one of the first of its kind. The project also marked a shift for Mecanoo in terms of how we approached design. It wasnt just about creating a building, but about merging the building with its environment and making sustainability a core element of the architecture.The Library Delft University of Technology became the foundation for many of our later works, influencing how we think about sustainable design and the integration of green spaces into our buildings. Ultimately, the Library Delft University of Technology allowed Mecanoo to showcase our ability to innovate and think ahead, and it remains a milestone in our journey as a firm committed to creating spaces that are both visionary and sustainable.Tainan Public Library by Mecanoo, Tainan, TaiwanHow do you feel your firms unique cultural and environmental context has shaped its evolution, particularly as it has expanded to design and build in countries outside of the Netherlands?A significant part of our success today is undeniably tied to the diversity within our team. While our roots are Dutch, the broad range of cultures, experiences and perspectives from our diverse architects have shaped a unique company culture that drives our ability to expand globally. This variety of cultural backgrounds enables us to approach each project with insights that go beyond merely addressing the physical environment. Its about truly engaging with the social fabric and communities we design for, ensuring that our work resonates on a local level.This dynamic mix of global perspectives, combined with the Dutch spirit of innovation, allows us to create design solutions that are not only forward-thinking but also tailored to the specific needs and narratives of each location. It is this blend of local engagement and diverse viewpoints that has truly driven Mecanoos growth and evolution on the international stage.Perth Museum by Mecanoo, Perth, United KingdomWhat does winning Architizers Firm of the Year Award mean to you and the firm?This recognition is a tremendous honour for all of us at Mecanoo. It is a celebration of our journey as a firm, as we have committed for over 40 years, from our early days in the Netherlands to becoming a truly global practice. This award acknowledges our years of dedication and inspires us to continue our mission of designing with purpose, always seeking to connect people, place, and culture through our work. It fuels our passion for innovation and reinforces our commitment to creating architecture that leaves a lasting, positive impact on the world.Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley by Mecanoo, Shenzhen, ChinaIf you had one piece of advice to offer the next generation of architects, what would it be? At Mecanoo, one of our greatest strengths is the diversity within our team, and this has shaped the way we approach architecture. For the younger generation, I would encourage you to embrace your individuality and unique experiences. Its easy to fall into the idea that there is a normal path to follow in design, but in reality, its the differences in who we are, where we come from, and how we see the world that add richness and depth to architecture. Every architect brings their own story, background, culture and personal experiences.At Mecanoo, weve learned that its these personal nuances, these diverse perspectives, that create the poetry and soul in architecture. The beauty of architecture lies in its ability to be different, to reflect the people it serves and the context it belongs to. So, I would say to the next generation: find your voice, celebrate what makes you different, and apply that uniqueness in your designs. Its those small, personal touches that make architecture not just functional, but truly meaningful and special.Top image: Villa BW by Mecanoo, Schoorl, NetherlandsThe post Cultivating Connection: Mecanoo Is Architizers 2024 Firm of the Year appeared first on Journal.

Architizer is thrilled to unveil the winners of one of this years most exciting architectural design contests!Now in its seventh year, the Best of LaCantina design competition attracted outstanding submissions from leading architecture and design firms across the United States. This years winning projects showcase the extraordinary versatility of LaCantinas door and window systems with more originality than ever, highlighting a multitude ways that their products can be harnessed to create seamless indoor-outdoor connections for clients. Located in diverse geographies across the country, these award-winning designs highlight the transformative impact that LaCantina Doors can have on spaces, whether in rural, suburban, or urban settings.The winner of the coveted Best in Show prize is Colorado-based firm KA Designworks, which scooped the top accolade for Cortina 10, a stunning mountain residence with breathtaking views perfectly framed by LaCantina bifold doors. KA Designworks wins two tickets plus travel and accommodation to the 2025 AIA Conference in Boston, as well as a special editorial feature on Architizer, to be published in the coming weeks.Without further ado, lets explore the 2024 Best of LaCantina winners, each of which forms a compelling case study illustrating how with the right windows and doors architecture can be truly one with its environment.Best in Show: Cortina 10 by KA Designworks, Mountain Village, ColoradoCollaborators: Aceto Landscape ArchitectsPhoto by Dallas and Harris PhotographyPhoto by Dallas and Harris PhotographyNestled in the breathtaking San Juan Mountains of Colorado, Cortina 10 is a ski-in/ski-out residence that harmonizes luxurious indoor living with the rugged beauty of its surroundings. The homes open design invites guests to take in nearly 180-degree views of the landscape through vast glass elements that allow natural light to flood the interior. Key to this design are the folding doors by LaCantina, which open up the great room to an expansive deck equipped with seating, a fire-pit, outdoor kitchen and hot tub.KA Designworks praised LaCantina for their ability to open entire walls, transforming decks into vibrant outdoor living spaces. These folding doors blur the line between indoors and outdoors, allowing residents to enjoy the beauty of the mountains without leaving the comfort of the home. Its not just about creating a space; its about crafting an experience that celebrates the interplay between architecture and nature, the firm explained.In addition to enhancing the homes visual appeal, LaCantinas folding doors excel in thermal performance, ensuring that the home remains energy efficient despite its large glass openings. We were able to bask in those breathtaking views without compromising on energy efficiency or overall building performance, says the firm, underscoring the perfect balance of style and function that LaCantina brings to this remarkable mountain residence.Most Innovative & Best Compact Project: Portage Bay Float Home by Studio DIAA, Seattle, WashingtonPhoto by Kevin ScottPhoto by Kevin ScottThe Portage Bay Float Home, a 650-square-foot floating residence on Seattles Lake Union, exemplifies how thoughtful design can expand small spaces. This high-craft home uses LaCantina doors including dual inswing kitchen doors, multislide doors for the living room and sliding pocket doors for the bedrooms to create a fluid connection between the interior and the surrounding deck. These carefully chosen elements allow the home to gather and reflect light, fostering a sense of spaciousness and making the outdoor deck feel like an integral part of the living area.Studio DIAA emphasized their design philosophy, saying: We chose LaCantina doors as a key element of our design [because they] facilitate an uninterrupted connection between the indoors and outdoors. They explained that LaCantina doors played a pivotal role in redefining the spatial dynamics of the home, by allowing us to expand the living area beyond its physical confines and creating a harmonious flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. This intentional design approach dissolved traditional boundaries, making the deck feel like an extension of the homes total square footage.Best Urban Residential Project: Modern Mediterranean by BBA Architects, Chicago, IllinoisCollaborators: Bigane Construction, Dawn Reeves Interior DesignPhoto by Mike SchwartzThe Modern Mediterranean home blends classic Mediterranean architecture with a modern twist, creating a bright and airy space that maximizes its double lot in the city. The design strategically places floor-to-ceiling windows and generous openings to bring in natural light while maintaining privacy. One of the key features is a custom LaCantina servery window which BBA Architects explains functions as a pocketing window, opening completely to the covered terrace as the panels stack and tuck into the wall, transforming the kitchen into a seamless indoor-outdoor space.BBA Architects highlighted how the LaCantina doors seamlessly connect the interior to the exterior. This thoughtful design creates an ideal space for entertaining, with the firm noting that the bi-parting door allows for a continuous entertaining space between the kitchen and back terrace, blending style and function to enhance the overall experience of the home.Best Suburban Residential Project: The Trailblazer by Citizen.Design, Renton, WashingtonPhoto by Andrew StoreyPhoto by Andrew StoreySituated on an 18-acre wooded site in Maple Valley, Washington, the Trailblazer is a contemporary home that smoothly blends with the natural landscape. The house is composed of four rotated gabled volumes, connected by light-filled breezeways that invite nature into the circulation spaces. At the heart of the design, a 20-foot-wide by 10-foot-tall LaCantina sliding door connects the main living room and the family room to an outdoor living area, offering expansive views of the nearby creek and creating a strong indoor-outdoor connection.The architecture firm chose LaCantina for its contemporary look and praised the doors thin stiles and rails and the flush stacking feature, which were key factors in specifying the system. The doors helped overcome the challenge of creating a large opening, and the firm noted that they were able to utilize a nearly flush sill between the interior concrete floors and the exterior concrete patio, ensuring a subtle transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. The result is a home that flows naturally, with LaCantina doors enhancing both the aesthetics and functionality of the design.Best Rural Residential: Little House/Big Shed by David Van Galen Architecture, Langley, WashingtonContractor: Jade Craftsman Builders; Supplier: Island Sash and Door, Inc.Photo by Lara SwimmerPhoto by Lara SwimmerSet within a second-growth forest, Little House/Big Shed is a tranquil retreat designed to blend harmoniously with its natural surroundings. The homes connection to the landscape is enhanced through thoughtful siting, large expanses of glass, and the use of LaCantina folding doors, which open the interior to the surrounding fir trees. These doors provide access to a spacious deck, creating a continuous relationship between internal and external living spaces.The architects noted that the doors played a significant role in the primary goal of the project: to insert the house as seamlessly as possible into the ecology of the site. The expansive scale of the doors and their ease of use were key to achieving the designs success, allowing the home to intimately connect with the forest while maintaining a sense of openness and light.Best Commercial Project: Ponzi Vineyards Laurelwood Event Space by Fogelstrom Design Build Co., Sherwood, OregonPhoto by Cheryl Juetten and William JamesPhoto by Cheryl Juetten and William JamesThis carefully detailed addition to the Ponzi Vineyards Tasting Room was designed to create delicately subtle transitions between the interior event space and the private outdoor terraces overlooking the vineyards. Central to this design are the LaCantina bi-parting multislide doors, which span an impressive 10-foot by 20-foot opening from floor to ceiling. These large glass doors allow visitors to experience uninterrupted views of the vineyard while enjoying the event space indoors.The architecture firm highlighted the doors perfectly clean detailing and how they allow the space to gracefully flow to the outside terrace and to the surrounding landscape. They noted that, when stacked, its as though there are only two doors instead of four, creating a sleek, unobstructed connection to the outdoors.Best Renovation Project: Bel Air by Matic Design and Build, Santa Barbara, CaliforniaPhoto by Eric FootePhoto by Eric FooteThe redevelopment of this Bel Air residence nimbly merges indoor and outdoor living through the use of custom LaCantina folding doors. Spanning 14, 12, and 10 feet respectively, these floor-to-ceiling doors open up the home to expansive views of the surrounding landscape. By connecting the main living areas and bedrooms to outdoor terraces, the LaCantina doors create a natural flow between the interior and exterior spaces, offering a luxurious, open feel.Matic Design and Build emphasized how the doors custom sizes and 84-inch height were crucial to achieving the desired effect, as they needed something beyond the standard 80 inches. The firm also noted how the doors integrate flawlessly into the wood interior frames, providing both aesthetic appeal and functional performance. The result is a home that feels effortlessly connected to its stunning outdoor surroundings.Best Unbuilt/Planned Concept: Desert Pearl Residence by Flynn Architecture & Design, Phoenix, ArizonaRendering by Flynn A&D/Matt FlynnRendering by Flynn A&D/Matt FlynnThe Desert Pearl Residence, set against desert mountains, was designed for an artist and astronomer, with LaCantinas thermally-controlled folding and sliding doors central to the design. The living-kitchen space features six bays of three-panel folding doors that open fully to the mountains to the south and the shaded courtyard to the north, creating a seamless connection between the interior and the surrounding landscape.The architecture firm explained that the thermally-broken aluminum frames were key to making the main living space of the house a success, providing essential protection from the Arizona heat. The open doors allow free movement between mountains, water, food, and shade, pulling the center of the home outdoors during cooler months. Matching aluminum frames throughout ensured a cohesive, streamlined look.These projects demonstrate the versatility and impact of LaCantinas products in creating beautiful, functional spaces that connect seamlessly with their surroundings. Each of the 2024 winners has used LaCantina doors and windows to redefine how their buildings engage with the outdoors, offering spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical and inviting.Explore more case studies and learn about the systems behind these winning designs at LaCantinaDoors.com.The post Blending Architecture and Nature: Meet the 2024 Best of LaCantina Winners! appeared first on Journal.

Ema is a trained architect, writer and photographer whoworks as a Junior Architectat REX in NYC. Inspired by her global experiences, she shares captivating insights into the worlds most extraordinary cities and buildings and provides travel tips on her blog,The Travel Album.Fashion and architecture may appear to belong to entirely different creative worlds, but beneath the surface, they share a deep connection rooted in geometry. Both disciplines rely on shapes, patterns and proportions to give form to their designs, creating structures whether wearable or habitable that are deeply informed by geometry. The language of geometry allows architects and fashion designers alike to explore space, materiality, and form in ways that transform their respective fields.I wanted to write an article that could provide a unique perspective on a topic that people dont often consider. Join me as I explore how geometry serves as a foundational element for both architecture and fashion, examine key examples from both worlds and analyze how these forms continue to influence and inspire creativity across both disciplines.Geometry as a Universal Design LanguageIssey Miyake by AEDS | Ammar Eloueini Digit-all StudioGeometry, by its very nature, is universal it provides an essential framework through which designers can communicate form, structure and proportions. Whether its the shape of a building or the cut of a garment, geometry helps to establish order and balance in design. In both architecture and fashion, geometry is a tool for innovation, allowing designers to create objects that are visually compelling, functional and aesthetically aligned with mathematical principles.In architecture, geometry helps shape entire buildings and their spatial layouts. Architects employ geometric principles to design everything from building faades to interior spaces. In classical architecture, symmetry and proportion were paramount, with designs often based on mathematical ratios like the Golden Ratio to ensure balance and harmony. In modern architecture, geometry continues to play a crucial role, with more experimental forms emerging through the use of complex shapes, tessellations and non-Euclidean geometry. Similarly, fashion designers use geometry to develop patterns, cuts and silhouettes, using shapes to enhance the movement, structure and visual impact of their garments.Geometry in Fashion: From Silhouette to StructureIssey Miyake Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan by TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGNIssey Miyake Pleats Pleaseby Clouds Architecture Office, New York City, New YorkIn fashion, geometry begins with pattern-making the process of creating two-dimensional templates that are then sewn together to create three-dimensional garments. Every piece of clothing starts with basic geometric shapes rectangles, circles, triangles or trapezoids that are combined and manipulated to shape the human body. Designers use geometry to tailor garments to fit the body in specific ways, creating shapes that are both flattering and functional.For instance, Japanese designer Issey Miyake is known for his revolutionary use of geometric shapes in fashion. His collections often include garments made from simple yet precise geometric forms that fold, pleat or expand to create intricate designs. Miyakes use of geometry is not just about aesthetics; its about engineering movement and flexibility into the fabric, allowing the garments to transform as the wearer moves. His iconic Pleats Please collection, for example, uses geometric pleating to create garments that change in shape and volume, emphasizing the relationship between fabric, form and motion.Another fashion house that has embraced geometry is Balenciaga. Known for its sculptural silhouettes, Balenciagas designs frequently feature bold, geometric shapes that exaggerate proportions whether through boxy jackets, sharply angled shoulders or trapezoidal dresses. This architectural approach to fashion design illustrates how geometry can be used to create striking visual effects and push the boundaries of conventional garment construction.Geometry in Architecture: From Faades to Spatial LayoutsHeydar Aliyev Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects, Baku, Azerbaijan | Photo by Sharon Tzarfati PhotographyIn architecture, geometry is not just a tool for designing individual elements but for orchestrating the entire spatial experience of a building. From ancient pyramids and Gothic cathedrals to modern skyscrapers, geometry has always been integral to architectural form. Architects use geometric patterns to create rhythm and harmony in their designs, often drawing inspiration from natural forms or mathematical concepts like symmetry, tessellation, and fractals.A powerful example of geometry in modern architecture is the work of Zaha Hadid. Known for her fluid, organic designs, Hadid frequently used non-Euclidean geometry to create futuristic buildings that challenge traditional architectural forms. Buildings like the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan feature sweeping curves and complex geometries that seem to defy gravity, creating spaces that feel both otherworldly and deeply connected to natural forms. Hadids work illustrates how geometry can be used to push the boundaries of architectural form, creating spaces that are as visually dynamic as they are functional.In contrast, architects like Tadao Ando and Mies van der Rohe have used more rectilinear, grid-based geometries to create clean, minimalist spaces. Andos use of simple geometric forms squares, circles and triangles helps create a sense of order and tranquility in his work, often enhancing the interaction between light and shadow. Mies van der Rohe, on the other hand, famously used the grid as a geometric organizing principle in his designs, creating buildings like the Barcelona Pavilion and the Farnsworth House that celebrate the purity of geometry through their clean lines and open, transparent spaces.The Intersection of Geometry in Fashion and ArchitectureBEYOND THE CATWALK, 2003The relationship between fashion and architecture is perhaps most evident in the way both disciplines use geometry to explore the interplay between structure and fluidity. For both fashion designers and architects, geometry offers a way to break free from traditional forms and create something new whether its a garment that transforms with movement or a building that challenges conventional ideas of space. One of the most striking intersections between fashion and architecture comes from collaborations between architects and fashion designers. Architect Hussein Chalayan, for instance, has seamlessly merged the two disciplines by creating fashion pieces that are both architectural and transformative. In his 2007 collection, Chalayan unveiled garments that could transform from one shape into another, using motors and mechanics to physically alter the structure of the clothing in real-time. This exploration of geometry and movement demonstrates how fashion can borrow from architectures principles of form and structure to create innovative designs.Similarly, fashion designer Iris van Herpen is known for her architectural approach to fashion design. By incorporating 3D printing and laser cutting into her work, van Herpen creates garments that are not only sculptural but also deeply rooted in geometric principles. Her designs often feature intricate, repeating patterns reminiscent of architectural facades, illustrating how geometry can be used to blur the boundaries between the body and the environment.Geometrys Future in Fashion and ArchitectureCHRISTOPHER MACSURAK,Iris van Herpen Haute Couture Spring Summer 2012 (51),CC BY 2.0As technology advances, the use of geometry in both fashion and architecture is likely to become even more innovative. New tools like 3D printing, parametric design, and algorithmic modeling allow designers in both fields to explore complex geometries that were once impossible to achieve. These technologies open up new possibilities for creating structureswhether wearable or habitablethat are more responsive, adaptive, and sustainable.In fashion, 3D printing has already begun to revolutionize how designers think about geometry and form. Designers can now create garments with intricate, customized geometric patterns that are printed directly onto the fabric, allowing for a level of precision and complexity that was previously unattainable. In architecture, parametric design allows architects to use algorithms to generate complex geometric forms that respond to environmental conditions, creating buildings that are not only aesthetically striking but also highly functional.Fashion and Architecture, A Common LanguageIssey Miyake Londonby TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA DESIGN, London, United Kingdom In both fashion and architecture, geometry serves as a common language that allows designers to explore new forms, create structure, and push the boundaries of creativity. Whether through the precise tailoring of a garment or the innovative design of a building, geometry offers a way to blend aesthetics with functionality, creating designs that are as visually captivating as they are purposeful. As technology continues to evolve, the use of geometry in both fields will undoubtedly lead to even more exciting possibilities, allowing designers to create ever-more innovative and boundary-breaking designs.The 13th A+Awards invites firms to submit a range of timely new categories, emphasizing architecture that balances local innovation with global vision. Your visionary projects deserve the spotlight, so start your submission today!The post The Role of Geometry: How Fashion and Architecture Share a Common Language appeared first on Journal.

With a diverse jury of global experts and a global voting public, Architizer's A+Awards championed firms around the world. Get your work in front of the industry's best by starting your submission today.The A+Awards are back, and with the Early Entry Deadline on October 25th, this is your chance to get your work in front of the biggest names in architecture and beyond. With over 250 distinguished members, our diverse jury represents a global mix of experts from across architecture, design, publishing, technology and more. Each year, we invite new leaders who are pushing boundaries and shaping the future of the built environment in many different ways.Enter the 13th Annual A+AwardsAmong this years new additions, eight standout voices are making waves in the knowledge-sharing revolution, from online educators and content creators to pioneers redefining how architecture is learned and shared. These well-known figures are transforming the industry through podcasts, online courses and free educational resources that inspire the next generation of architects and designers. As jurors, they reflect the A+Awards commitment to fresh, diverse perspectives that are shaping the future of architecture.Learn more about each juror and how theyre influencing architectures future through their unique approaches to knowledge-sharing:Caitlin BradyHost, Architectette Podcast & Project Architect, Ayers Saint GrossCaitlin is an architect, creative problem solver and community builder. She is a Project Architect and Associate at Ayers Saint Gross. Professionally and personally, she is dedicated to the advancement of emerging professionals, focusing volunteer efforts largely with organizations such as her bi-weekly podcast for women+ in architecture, Architectette; ACE Mentors; and AIA/ Emerging Architect Committees that empower students, upcoming professionals, and less represented populations in architecture. She has been recognized for her dedication to the profession with the Alpha Chi Rho Medal for Leadership and Service, 2023 AIA|DC Emerging Architect Award, and 2021 Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation Emerging Leader Award.David DrazilFounder of Sketch Like an Architect; Published Author; TeacherDavid Drazil is an architect who loves to sketch. Hes the founder of the SketchLikeAnArchitect.com and a teacher with more than 15,000 online students in his courses. David is also an author of three books on architectural sketching. He is focused on helping architects and designers to improve their clarity of visual communication through his educational resources on both analog and digital sketching and drawing.Evelyn LeeFounder and CEO, Practice of ArchitectureEvelyn M. Lee, FAIA, is an architect turned tech entrepreneur who blends her design background with a passion for innovation. As an angel investor, startup advisor and fractional COO, she helps drive growth for architecture firms, embracing new ways of practicing. Lee is the founder of Practice of Architecture and hosts the Practice Disrupted podcast with over 50,000 listeners globally.A sought-after speaker and Architizer columnist, she provides insights on integrating technology, leadership development, and better business operations within the architecture practice. Lee also champions inclusivity as an advisor for Women Defining AI, inspiring women to close the gender gap within the tech industry.Filip KuraszFounding Partner, ELEMENTFilip Kurasz is a dynamic creative, juggling roles as an artist, art director, and architect. Inspired by childhood passions and fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, has co-guided ELEMENT Studio to the forefront of Archviz over the past decade and now became a proud co-founder of the World Visualization Festival WVF. His knack for pushing boundaries earned him titles like Architectural Visualizer of the Year 2023 and nods from the Architizer A+Awards. When hes not crafting masterpieces, Filip enjoys tackling obstacle races and finding joy in family adventures. Always striving for the next creative challenge, he brings a touch of lightheartedness to everything he does.Jakub FigelFounding Partner, ELEMENT and Founder, World Visualization Festival (WVF)Jakub Figel is a powerhouse connecting the worlds of art and architecture. His entrepreneurial drive leads him down unconventional paths, co-founding the World Visualization Festival (WVF) and spearheading ELEMENT Visualization Studio to become a recognizable figure in Archviz for over a decade. Jakubs achievements include prestigious titles like Architectural Visualization Studio and Visualization of the Year 2023 and a Special Mention at the Architizer A+Awards.Georgina WilsonPrincipal, Georgina Wilson AssociatesGeorgina Wilson is the founder and principal of Georgina Wilson Associates, bringing with her over 20 years experience designing award-winning homes and commercial spaces. As the creative director and principal architect Georginas designs offer both beauty and practicality, with each project facilitated by her talented team, under her expert instruction.Georgina takes great pride in translating the all-important client/designer conversation into spaces and structures that are illustrative of the way each of her clients want to uniquely live, work and play. In 2023, Georgina launched Ask an Architect, a digital platform of resources and practical tools for people undertaking home renovations anywhere in the world! The platform offers recommended room layouts, budgeting and project management templates.Kevin HuiDirector, ArchimarathonOne half of the Archimarathon duo, Kevin Hui is an architecture educator for over two decades at various universities. Kevin is an architecture tour curator and leader who has been on many incredible architecture tours around the world. Archimarathons video content creation on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok focuses on communicating and educating the public about the importance of good design in architecture.Rachael BernstoneBusiness Development and Marketing Adviser to Architects, Sounds Like DesignRachael Bernstone is a journalist-turned-business advisor to architects and an advocate for good design more broadly. She strongly believes that access to good design is an equity issue, and that only architects have the requisite skills to respond to some of the great challenges of our time, such as climate emergency and affordable housing shortages.Straddling the intersection of architecture and communications, Rachael holds a Bachelor of Arts (in Journalism, from RMIT) and a Masters in Architecture (History and Theory, from UNSW). In 2003, she was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to study sustainable and affordable housing, in the UK, Sweden, Finland and five cities across the United States.After interviewing more than 2000 practitioners globally as a journalist and researcher, Rachael observed a gap in their formal education around business development and marketing. To plug that gap, she founded a specialist communications consultancy Sounds Like Design in 2016. Today, her consulting services and online course simplify modern business development and marketing for architects, and she works with practice owners, directors and principals to create a reliable pipeline of new work and clients, leading to enhanced creativity, better wellbeing, more money, and a bigger impact. In addition, Rachael continues to work as a journalist contributing to international publications such as Architectural Review and Design Anthology, and HOUSES, Habitus and Sanctuary magazines in Australia to communicate the value of good design to a wider audience.With a diverse jury of global experts and a global voting public, Architizer's A+Awards championed firms around the world. Get your work in front of the industry's best by starting your submission today.The post A+Awards Jury Welcomes 8 Creators Leading the Architectural Knowledge-Sharing Revolution appeared first on Journal.

Rooted in the principles of Confucianism and harmony with nature, structures like Gyeongbokgung Palace reflect the Seouls ancient past. Fast forward to the 20th century, and modernist influences emerge, through buildings such as Kim Swoo Geuns Space Group Building completed in 1971, which merges traditional Korean aesthetics with modernist principles.More recently projects such as Zaha Hadids Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the Seoullo 7017 Skygarden by MVRDV as well as the Amorepacific Headquarters by David Chipperfield Architects have provided the blueprint for the citys contemporary architectural direction, where modern practices emphasize sustainability, smart technology integration and eco-friendly designs. Contemporary architecture firms in Seoul now focus on smart cities and create buildings that not only stand out visually but also address environmental concerns. This evolution makes Seoul a vibrant stage for global architectural discourse, acting as a design fusion that features towering skyscrapers along with historic conservation buildings and futuristic complexes.With so many architecture firms to choose from, its challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Seoul, South Korea based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.How are these architecture firms ranked?The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firms level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firms ranking, in order of priority:The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2024)The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Project of the Day (2009 to 2024)The number of projects selected as Featured Project (2009 to 2024)The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2024)Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Seoul architecture firms throughout the year.Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Seoul:30. Leehong Kim Architects Leehong Kim ArchitectsLeehong Kim lives in Korea and operates Leehong Kim Architects in both Seoul and New York City. Work focuses on both architectural and conceptual works integrated to the given spatial condition.Some of Leehong Kim Architects most prominent projects include:47 Modules, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped Leehong Kim Architects achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 2 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 29. D Werker Architects D Werker ArchitectsD Werker Architects is an architectural practice based in Seoul, centered around residential as well as commercial architecture.Some of D Werker Architects most prominent projects include:Unicity, Seoul, South KoreaCarver Global, Daeheung-dong, Seoul, South KoreaEMK Musical Company, Seoul, South KoreaSimon House, Paju-si, South Korea The following statistics helped D Werker Architects achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 4 28. JK-AR JK-ARJK-AR is an agenda-based architecture practice founded in 2017 by Jae K. Kim. JK-AR is a platform for design experiments. We create space and form to yield new experiences. We think of visions for human life through architecture. At JK-AR, we believe that the spirit of exceptional architecture can be felt through persistent design investigations that implement state-of-the-art techniques.For these aims, JK-AR develops new means of design, construction, and structural engineering by using todays advanced technology. Working seamlessly with the studies of design computation, digital fabrication, and material application, the office challenges current practice to transform the building industry.Recently, JK-AR is inventing new applications of conventional materials, focusing on wood and concrete.Some of JK-ARs most prominent projects include:The House of Three Trees, Sangju-si, South KoreaPavilion of Floating Lights, Jinju-si, South KoreaTree IV, Seoul, South KoreaTree VI, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped JK-AR achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 4 27. Heesoo Kwak + IDMM Architects Heesoo Kwak + IDMM ArchitectsKwak, Heesoo graduated from Hongik University and opened the IDMM Architects Office based in Seoul in 2003. He has served as a columnist for the JoongAng Ilbo Architect Kwak Heesoos Short City and is attempting to decipher architecture based on constantly occurring urban phenomenons.Some of Heesoo Kwak + IDMM Architects most prominent projects include:Gijang Waveon, Busan, South KoreaFORT & PORT, Yeosu-si, South KoreaThe Closest Church, Gimpo-si, South KoreaGuesthouse Rivendell, Gapyeong-gun, South KoreaU RETREAT, Hongcheon-gun, South Korea The following statistics helped Heesoo Kwak + IDMM Architects achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 7 26. Seoinn Design Group Seoinn Design GroupEstablished 1978, Seoinn Design Group has been dedicated to provide the high quality design works to the worship places.Some of Seoinn Design Groups most prominent projects include:Saemoonan Church, Seoul, South KoreaShinchon Church, Seoul, South KoreaChangshin Church Church for the Blind, Seoul, South KoreaDorim Church Cultural Center/ , Seoul, South KoreaManrihyun Church, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped Seoinn Design Group achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 15 25. Joongwon Architects Joongwon ArchitectsJungwon Architecture was founded in 1985 and is a group of architects who have been engaged in architecture for the second generation. It makes results in the present, but respects the accumulated experience of the field, which has gone through numerous trials and errors and repetitions from the past, and strives to continue and embody the inspiration of the sparkling desk as a sense of continuity. Unlike inventors, for architects, a creative moment is a small moment that discovers our indifferent value in life through continuous observation. Jungwon Architecture is steadily creating a healthy place in our city based on a delicate understanding of life and creating spaces that can last for a long time based on a serious interest in architecture.Some of Joongwon Architects most prominent projects include:Lightus Retreat, South Lake Tahoe, CaliforniaForest Edge, Hongcheon-gun, South Korea The following statistics helped Joongwon Architects achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 24. UTAA UTAAArchitecture is a series of cooperative work that does not end with one persons thought. I want to be a small but strong experimental organization, and an office that creates a fun space. I am convinced that the most ordinary thing makes the most extraordinary results rather than the unique design of the display style. We configure the space as honestly and clearly as possible within the given different conditions and value the jointing and touching of each material.Differentiated and leading designs begin with very ordinary buildings that exist around us and in our cities. In the past, Utah Architecture will continue to contribute to creating buildings in the city with healthy homes and warm spaces with the architect. And internally, the long-term goal is to create soil where junior architects can grow and do good work, beyond the current barren architecture.Some of UTAAs most prominent projects include:Rest Hole in the University of Seoul, Seoul, South KoreaBlack Box, Seongnam-si, South KoreaBoseong House, Boseong-gun, South KoreaPinocchio, Pocheon-si, South KoreaCinema House, Paju-si, South Korea The following statistics helped UTAA achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 23. Z_Lab KIM Jae KyeongZ_Lab is a design group to create a place and space based communication with region and reflects the individuals desire and will. We must achieve a balance of individual aspirations and regional universality in terms of the design and regional identity. In this instance we create a new experience for staying out through space and personalized lifestyle brand.We would like to contribute to give a new experience for many people beyond the geographic boundaries based on the place and space. So that our results can be created with a private transfer to local and sustainable value for the future to create a positive business model based on the person and region.Some of Z_Labs most prominent projects include:Zer0place, Seosan-si, South KoreaCreativehouse, Seoul, South KoreaPyeongdae Panorama, Jeju-si, South KoreaYuwolbyulchae, Jeju-si, South Koreablindwhales, Jeju-si, South Korea The following statistics helped Z_Lab achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 22. 2m2 architects 2m2 architects2m2 architects was founded in Seoul by architect Junghee Lee. The firm suggests new cultural and social possibility in old-fashioned, conventional existing Korean architecture and aims to produce high quality designs so that the architect, client and constructor can all be satisfied.Based on differentiated design, the company specializes in detailed construction accumulated in the field for several years on design. In addition, while having interest in various fields such as design, music, image and street culture other than architecture, the company plans, designs and constructs the projects through broad collaborations.Some of 2m2 architects most prominent projects include:Geoje house_Younghaeawon(), Geoje-si, South KoreaBoombox House, South KoreaApple Farm House, Pohang-si, South KoreaSista House, Seoul, South KoreaDaebong-dong Commercial_skipfloor, Daegu, South Korea The following statistics helped 2m2 architects achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 6 21. ANM ANMANM is an architecture design studio that emphasizes diversity and differentiation as well as to technical and methodological relationships. The office explores the balance between the architects intention and the needs of the client.Some of ANMs most prominent projects include:Monks Cabin (Zen Room for a Buddhist Monk), Pyeongchang-gun, South KoreaHouse in Jeju, Jeju-do, South KoreaD Church, Yeoju-gun, South KoreaYangpyeong House, Yangpyeong-gun, South KoreaCoffee House_Dong am, Yangpyeong-gun, South Korea The following statistics helped ANM achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 6 20. WISE Architecture Kim YongkwanYoung Jang and Sook Hee Chun jointly established WISE Architecture in 2008. The two completed several small but meaningful projects focusing on materiality of everydayness in Seoul.Some of WISE Architectures most prominent projects include:BOX MOBILE GALLERY, Seoul, South KoreaABC Building, Seoul, South KoreaDialogue in the Dark Bukchon, Seoul, South KoreaRed Mirror Strips, Seoul, South KoreaMu;M Building, Korea The following statistics helped WISE Architecture achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 6 19. HyunjoonYoo Architects HyunjoonYoo ArchitectsFor us, architecture is to design relationships. We seek to create harmony among people and with nature through new architectural visions.Some of HyunjoonYoo Architects most prominent projects include:The Void, KoreaSsangdalri House, Chungcheongnam-do, South KoreaHUB, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, South KoreaMug HakdongHanok 3.0, Daejeon, South Korea The following statistics helped HyunjoonYoo Architects achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 6 18. BCHO Architects Associates BCHO Architects AssociatesFounded in Seoul, Korea in 1994, BCHO Architects started as a design build office with a focus on simple structures and strong regard for nature. Since 1998 the practice focus is architecture and furniture, however we work very closely with contractors and multiple fabrication specialists in various disciplines; including stone masons, product designers, wood workers, potters, lighting engineers, furniture and graphic designers and artists. We also have multiple professional collaborators in Montana, Massachusetts, California, Hawaii and Peru.BCHO Architects believe that buildings, furniture and art are made, not created. Each architectural project, encompassing various scales and programs, explores the phenomenon of light and space, fabrication and construction methods , recycling and reusing, and a broad sense of sustainability (social/cultural/physical), which uses our collective creative energy to reduce our buildings demand for grid energy.Some of BCHO Architects Associates most prominent projects include:Namhae Southcape Linear Suite Hotel, Namhae-gun, South KoreaTwin Tree Towers, Seoul, South KoreaL HouseHanil Cement Information Center and Guesthouse, Danyang-gun, South KoreaCamerata Music Space The following statistics helped BCHO Architects Associates achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 11 17. DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLCCities need more accessible and reconfigurable construction strategies to foster the culture of dynamic placemaking in the context of ephemeral and transitory programs in our contemporary city. Stick Snap Stack is an alternative construction system to offer such a resilient construction framework. The system utilizes the simplicity of stacking inspired by the traditional wood joinery method. Without bonding agents, the system uses a snapping induced interlocking system for the unique stacking mechanism.The geometry of the centerpiece can be fabricated to shift the stacking angle, while modularized three legs of the assembled unit block interlock with other blocks to complete a rhombohedral unit cell acting as a self-supporting structural module.Some of DIOINNO ARCHITECTUREs most prominent projects include:HIGH LIVINGSTICK SNAP STACK, Seoul, South KoreaHotel Solitaire, Seoul, South KoreaUnduk-Naru, Seoul, South KoreaSLANTED MEMORIAL, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped DIOINNO ARCHITECTURE PLLC achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 1 A+Awards Finalist 2 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 25 16. D.LIM Architects D.LIM ArchitectsDLIM is an architectural group ledby its two principals, Yeonghwan Lim and Sunhyun Kim. Lim, a professor at Hongik University and a registered architect in Pennsylvania, is responsible for creative design. Kim holds a masters degree in project management from Harvard University and is responsible for the execution of projects. She is a registered architect in Korea.Some of D.LIM Architects most prominent projects include:Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall, Seoul, South KoreaH&M Seoul Hongdae Store, Seoul, South KoreaStardom Entertainment Office, Seoul, South KoreaCoconut house, Seongnam-si, South KoreaCJ Nine Bridges The Forum, Seogwipo-si, South Korea The following statistics helped D.LIM Architects achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 15. YounghanChung Architects YounghanChung ArchitectsYounghan Chung architects, the architectural studio based on Seoul, seeks for new typology of living in the dense and uniform picture of the city and studies experimental and creative design processes through the relationship of various phenomena of the city.Some of YounghanChung Architects most prominent projects include:Floating Cubes, Cheongwon-gun, South KoreaPOROSCAPE, Seoul, South Korea9X9 EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE, Yangju, South KoreaFive Trees, Busan, South Korea6X6 HOUSE The following statistics helped YounghanChung Architects achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 5 14. SsD SsDSsD is an architecture firm that approaches design as a convergent, interdisciplinary venture. Minimum form takes maximum effect with the goal to bridge the utopian and the pragmatic. Instead of separating aspects of architecture, landscape, history, social systems, and codes into their constituent disciplines, these agendas are simultaneously explored so that each discipline symbiotically gains from the other. In this way sustainability emerges as an integrated rather than additive result.Some of SsDs most prominent projects include:Simgok, Seongnam-si, South KoreaSundial House, Incheon, South KoreaSongpa Micro-Housing, Seoul, South KoreaOasis PlaceBig Dig House, Lexington, Massachusetts The following statistics helped SsD achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 12 13. Archium ArchiumArchium is a architecture design firm based in Seoul, with projects centered around large-scale residential architecture.Some of Archiums most prominent projects include:Persona, Seoul, South KoreaBauzium Sculpture Gallery, Gangwon-do, South KoreaGilmosery, Seoul, South KoreaKhmeresque, Battambang, CambodiaHimalesque, Jomsom, Nepal The following statistics helped Archium achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 7 12. EHLA ArchiumArchitecture is nothing. However, architecture is more significant than any others like air in our life. Architecture is not a hero. Architecture is just a stage of our living. We do not want architecture to say a lot of showing language to come forward from the surroundings. As people live healthier within clean air, we want architecture to be a clean, pure and honest artifact that holds human life silently. We do not believe architecture will change the world and we do not work in order to change the world through architecture. For now, we are about to construct the architecture with architecture itself without a metadiscourse beyond architecture.Some of EHLAs most prominent projects include:House (digeut-jip), Eumseong-gun, South KoreaChubby Cat House, Seoul, South Koreavilla mangwon stacked house, Seoul, South KoreaMalefemale House, Seoul, South Koreavilla Jeju, Seogwipo-si, South Korea The following statistics helped EHLA achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 7 11. Mass StudiesPhotography (C) Yong-Kwan Kim - Mass StudiesMass Studies was founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, Korea, as a critical investigation of architecture in the context of mass production, intensely over-populated urban conditions, and other emergent cultural niches that define contemporary society. Amid the many frictions defining spatial conditions in the twenty-first century, namely past vs. future, local vs. global, utopia vs. reality, and individual vs. collective, Mass Studies focuses on the operative complexity of these multiple conditions instead of striving for a singular, unified perspective. For each architectural project, which exist across a wide range of scales, Mass Studies explores issues such as spatial systems/matrixes, building materials/techniques, and typological divergences to foster a vision that allows the discovery of new socio/cultural potential.Some of Mass Studies most prominent projects include:Daum Space.1Southcape Owners Club Clubhouse, Yeosu, South Korea Bundle Matrix: S-Trenue, Seoul, South KoreaMissing Matrix Building: Boutique Monaco, Seoul, South KoreaAnn Demeulemeester Shop, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped Mass Studies achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 4 Total Projects 9 10. ArchiWorkshop ArchiWorkshopWe are architects, who think, create, enjoy and share everyday architecture.Some of ArchiWorkshops most prominent projects include:White Cube Mangwoo, Seoul, South KoreaArchiGlam_Glamping, South KoreaMobile Library, Seoul, South KoreaGlamping on the Rock, South KoreaRed Square House, South Korea The following statistics helped ArchiWorkshop achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 15 9. HAEAHN Architecture Namsun LeeHAEAHN Architecture, marking its 34th anniversary this year, has been continuously striving to design valuable urban environmental projects based on creativity and innovation since its establishment in 1990. HAEAHN has been in alliance with H Architecture, New York, USA since 2011 and established several overseas offices which have greatly contributed to its extensive growth in becoming a world standard architectural design firm. Overseas offices such as, Baghdad Branch Office, Republic of Iraq in 2014, Ho Chi Minh City Branch Office, Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2018.Some of HAEAHN Architectures most prominent projects include:National Assembly Communication Building, Seoul, South KoreaHwaseong Hambaeksan Memorial Park, Gyeonggi-do, South KoreaIncheon Children Science Museum, South KoreaBaseball Dream Park, Daejeon, South KoreaNational Aviation Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped HAEAHN Architecture achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 23 8. OBBA OBBAOBBA, Office for Beyond Boundaries Architecture, is an international architecture studio founded in May 2012, by Sojung Lee and Sangjoon Kwak, in Seoul, Korea, committed to multiple options and blended solutions in the context of a fast changing society and emerging issues, with an integral vision not apiecemeal cognition.OBBAs design approach starts from a critical survey of the surrounding environment urban conditions, existing architecture and a spectrum of elements of daily life. Rather than chase a utopian thought, it is a process of investigating the social issues of today and proposing realistic solutions through design.OBBAs focus is on the synergistic boundaries where different fields intersect and form relationships, widening and developing their expertise through various disciplines and multiple spheres. As aboundary crosser, OBBA seeks new challenges, welcoming the symbiosis of fluctuating boundaries rather than following conventional ways.Some of OBBAs most prominent projects include:The Vault House, Hadong-gun, South KoreaBeyond the Screen, Seoul, South KoreaThe Floating Island, Bruges, BelgiumThe Oasis, Yongin-si, South KoreaThe Illusion, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped OBBA achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 7 7. Yong Ju Lee Architecture Yong Ju Lee ArchitectureYong Ju Lee, AIA is principal of Seoul-based Yong Ju Lee Architecture. He has been working for stimulating design for everyday life in multiple scales and media. His works are presented worldwide such as National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul), Museum of Modern Art (New York) and Venice Biennale. He also received world-renowned awards including Korean Public Architecture Award, iF Design Award and Design Vanguard.Some of Yong Ju Lee Architectures most prominent projects include:Myeonmok Fire Station, Seoul, South KoreaRoot Bench, Seoul, South KoreaHoehyeon Community, Seoul, South KoreaDispersion, Suwon, South KoreaWing Tower, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped Yong Ju Lee Architecture achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 6 Total Projects 10 6. LEAU design Kyungsub ShinLEAU Design is a group seeking after such environment as falling under comprehensive sense and attempt the relationship with architectural design. Environment includes meanings of social and cultural conditions that influence in human lifestyle as well as ecological and build environment.LEAU Design, since its establishment in 2000, has been pursuing a total design focused on architecture and urbanism; renovation and interior design; enviroment design in order to architecturally design diverse concerns amid the better human environment, which is based on our research about social and cultural background of human.Some of LEAU designs most prominent projects include:Matryoshka, KoreaTropism of wild flower, Seoul, South KoreaSong-chu Bending Band, Yangju-si, South KoreaJeju BAYHILL POOL & VILLA _ EGOISTIC CROPPING, Seogwipo-si, South KoreaCosmos Intime, Gwangju, South Korea The following statistics helped L'EAU design Co.,Ltd. achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 22 5. stpmj stpmjstpmj is an award winning design practice based in New York and Seoul. The office is founded by Seung Teak Lee and Mi Jung Lim with the agenda of provocative realism. It is a series of synergetic explorations that occur on the boundary between the ideal and the real, based on simplicity of form and detail, clarity of structure, excellence in environmental function, use of new materials and rational management of budget. To these we add ideas generated from curiosity in everyday life as we pursue a methodology for dramatically exploiting the limitations of reality. Resulting from new perspectives, our work is nuanced yet bold and represents a reaction against architectural clichs.Some of stpmjs most prominent projects include:Invisible Barn,Truckee, CaliforniaShear House, Yecheon-gun, South KoreaStratum House, Gyeonggi-do, South KoreaThe Surface, Gwacheon-si, South KoreaDissolving Arch, Jeju-do, South Korea The following statistics helped stpmj achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 10 4. Suh Architects Suh ArchitectsWith every project, Suh Architects is defined by the marriage of function and verve. It does not adhere to a predetermined style and expects its architecture to outlast current trends. Buildings must not only make sense spatially and in an intangible way, but also keep the rain out, heat in and stay within budget. The firm is well-aware that this sort of harmony is only made possible by maintaining consistent standards and fully understanding its clients needs.Its founder, Eulho Suh, is directly involved in the design and execution of each project from its initial conception, through planning, construction and completion. With every project, spatial clarity and human scale are foremost; subsequent details are held to the highest standard of execution.Some of Suh Architects most prominent projects include:HYUNDAI SONGPA, Seoul, South KoreaJEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS FC CLUBHOUSE, Wanju-gun, South KoreaGENESIS SUJI, Yongin-si, South KoreaGENESIS STUDIO, Hanam-si, South KoreaHYUNDAI MOTORSTUDIO, Seoul, South Korea The following statistics helped Suh Architects achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: A+Awards Winner 4 A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 5 Total Projects 8 3. Moon Hoon Namgoong SunMoon Hoon is a practice located in Seoul, South Korea. The design philosophy behind its architecture lies in movies, comics and graffiti and advocates a playful design attitude towards architecture.Some of Moon Hoons most prominent projects include:Two Moon, Gyeonggi-do, South KoreaVi-sang House, Gyeonggi-do, South KoreaBusan Times, Busan, South KoreaSimple House, Jeju-si, South KoreaWind House, Jeju-si, South Korea The following statistics helped Moon Hoon achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 7 Total Projects 12 2. IROJE KHM Architects IROJE KHM ArchitectsIROJE KHM Architects is many kinds of award-winning architects office in Seoul, Korea. Kim Hyo Man, the principal of IROJE KHM Architects is architect, concurrent professor of graduate school of architecture and editorial adviser of architectural magazine.Some of IROJE KHM Architects most prominent projects include:Top image: Ga On Jai, Kwangmyng, South KoreaHWA HUN, South KoreaKyeong Dok Jai, Goyang-si, South KoreaTetris Nursery, Dobong-gu, Seoul, South KoreaSTELLA FIORE, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, South Korea The following statistics helped IROJE KHM Architects achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 10 Total Projects 21 1. Studio Gaon Studio GaonCompleted by time, an architecture with moving spaces.Studio_Gaon was founded in 1998 and is represented by Lim Hyoung-nam and Roh Eun-joo. Gaon means center in Korean. We carries out various urban and architectural projects. The architecture we pursue harmonizes with nature and contemplates the locality of Korea and the present nature of architecture. We are particularly interested in traditional architecture featuring the locality of Korea and Seoul, where we are mainly active. From our point of view, the biggest feature of Korean architecture is the movement of space, compared to other oriental architectures such as that of Japan and China.Some of Studio Gaons most prominent projects include:Jetavana Buddhist Temple, Chuncheon-si, South KoreaCasa Gaia, Jeju-si, South KoreaLabyrinthos, South KoreaThe House With Four Wings, Incheon, South KoreaHouse of January, House on the Demarcation, Jeonju-si, South Korea The following statistics helped Studio Gaon achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Seoul: Featured Projects 29 Total Projects 46 Why Should I Trust Architizers Ranking?With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the worlds largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the worlds best architecture each year.Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlightedA Guide to Project AwardsThe blue + badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizers Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a projects likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:Project completed within the last 3 yearsA well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphsArchitectural designwith a high level of both functional and aesthetic valueHigh quality, in focus photographsAt least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the buildingInclusion of architectural drawings and renderingsInclusion of construction photographsThere are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizers Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.Were constantly look for the worlds best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please dont hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.The post 30 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Seoul appeared first on Journal.

Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!Architectural heritage has always been romanticized. Large conservation sites, cultural landmarks and even smaller historic buildings offer a gateway to the past, which admittedly cannot be reproduced through contemporary architecture. Mass production, quick and cheap construction and the need to cope with urban expansion and population growth have removed one key ingredient that heritage structures have: craftsmanship. Handcrafted elements, the attention to detail, and the slow process of constructing these buildings and sites have almost entirely faded in todays (on-demand) architectural practice.Still, technological advancements such as 3d scanning and augmented reality, along with advanced 3d printing building techniques, make a different type of promise for the preservation of architectural heritage. They hold the capacity to replicate parts of historical structures with a level of precision that was previously unimaginable, with the most recent example being the Notre Dame de Paris restoration after the devastating fire in 2019.The Press by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects, Costa Mesa, California | Jury and Popular Choice Winner, Commercial Renovations & Additions, 12th Annual A+Awards Amongst the architectural community, there have been countless discussions on heritage conservation. These technological advancements, however, also open up the question of heritage replication. What if these new recording and building practices could provide the blueprint for not only restoring but actually replicating the detail and craftsmanship of historic buildings? Could this technology (re)construct cities of the past and situate them in the present literally? More importantly: What would the public perception of this be and would architects approve of such a gesture?Adaptive Reuse near Brooklyn Navy Yard by Worrell Yeung, New York City, New YorkLets start with authenticity. The biggest challenge to technological replication lies in the question of the authentic. What is the significance of a replica when it is indistinguishable from the original? Often, the value of original work lies in its history, not just through its physical form but also because of events, people and cultures they are associated with. Replicating a building perfectly may copy its physical form, but it cannot replicate its history or spirit. Places stuck in time such as Edinburghs old town or Romes historic centre, maintain their romanticised charm due to their cultural baggage. If we were to replicate the Royal Mile for example, on an empty piece of land located somewhere in south America, would it hold the same allure to the original one?Taoxichuan Ceramic Culture Industrial Park by Beijing AN-Design Architects, Jingdezhen, ChinaThis brings me to my next point: ethics. One significant concern is that of cultural appropriation. Advanced technology could enable nations or corporations to copy the heritage of other cultures without their consent or participation, bringing up issues of ownership, cultural respect, and historical context. Without careful consideration, this practice could strip heritage structures of their cultural significance and eventually commodify them.In parallel, technological replication greatly diminishes the impact of traditional craftsmanship, which in turn greatly influences the buildings themselves. By using 3D printers and robotic arms instead of the skilled hands and knowledge tied to ancient building techniques, historic structures may lose their cultural value as well as the human ingenuity responsible for their creation, not to mention the traces of erosion through time that make each building unique.Geneva Car Barn & Powerhouse by Aidlin Darling Design, San Francisco, CaliforniaIn theory, the idea of living in historic structures seems like an alluring option. The UK is currently selling churches for the mere amount of 50,000 pounds, ready to become occupied. It would be quite breathtaking to live in a city, where for instance, each individual house has the same charm and spatial complexity of a church. On the other hand, recreating polished, physical copies even if they are considered historically and culturally significant is essentially a different way of using mass production to satisfy a reminiscence of past eras, romantic ways of living and worlds of heritage, that are ultimately stripped of their cultural gravitas.Finally, what do architects have to say about replicating architectural heritage or more extensively creating cities made from history? The most conventional approach to architectural conservation, apart from restoring structures that serve as uninhabitable monuments, would be adaptive reuse, where old buildings are preserved, refurbished and updated to serve the needs of contemporary society, without however losing their character and historic charm. At the same time, some forward-thinking architects might embrace the possibilities of technology, seeing it as an opportunity to experiment with history, blending old and new elements that allow for creative reinterpretations that unlock new modes of making architectural heritage.Amherst College Powerhouse Student Event Space by Bruner/Cott & Associates, Inc., Amherst, MassachusettsUltimately, the desirability of using technology in this way depends on how we balance the desire to preserve the past with the need to respect its inherent value and history. For some, a perfect replica may be a triumph of human achievement and technology. For others, it could represent a loss of something irreplaceable. Nevertheless, it is important to start such conversations, raising complex questions about authenticity, cultural identity and ethics in relation to technological advancements, especially when these are capable of altering not only the digital but more importantly the physical world.Architizer's 13th A+Awards features a suite of sustainability-focused categories that recognizing designers that are building a green industry and a better future. Start your entry to receive global recognition for your work!Featured Image: Taoxichuan Ceramic Culture Industrial Park by Beijing AN-Design Architects, Jingdezhen, ChinaThe post What if Architects Could Replicate Historic Buildings? appeared first on Journal.

Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.Pop over to Spotify, or any other music streaming platform, and type the word Ambient into your search bar. What youll find is thousands of playlists, all containing ambient music tracks. One of the first to be listed, Ambient Relaxation, is 232 songs, eleven hours and has over 1.25 million saves (for context This is Taylor Swift has 6 million). Head on over to YouTube, and the story is much the same, Ambient Study Music To Concentrate by Quiet Quest has 475,000 subscribers and has been viewed 43 million times.Ok, so it might not be Despacito at 8.48 billion, but with thousands upon thousands of these types of ambient videos, theres is definitely something going on. So, what is ambient music, and what does it have to do with architecture?Compared to other music genres, ambient music is a bit of an outlier. Thats because, unlike almost all other types of music you can think of, we can trace ambient music to its origin back to one individual, an artist named Brian Eno of Roxy Music fame. In the mid-1970s, after an accident left him bedridden, Eno experienced a moment that would change how he thought about music. A friend had gifted him a 17th-century harp record, but with one busted speaker, the volume too low, rain pattering outside, and no ability to move from the spot he was in, Eno discovered that the music blended with the ambient sounds of his environment. The delicate fusion of sound and silence sparked an idea, music that was as ignorable as it was interesting. With that, ambient music was born.Ambient music is all about creating an aural landscape. It features gentle, evolving textures and seemingly random subtle layers of sound that ebb and flow without a dominant note, rhythm or melody. Its designed to evoke a sense of calm and contemplation, allowing listeners to fully lose themselves in the moment, which goes a long way in explaining why its so popular as music to aid concentration. As fascinating as that is, you may be asking yourselves, again, what does that have to do with architecture?Uniview Headquarters by GOA (Group of Architects), Zhejiang, China | Popular Choice Winner, Office High Rise (16+ Floors), 12th Annual A+Awards |Photograph by Rudy KuWell, you see, societal trends are more often than not reflected in our architecture, and over the last decade, overstimulation has become a serious problem. As our cities become denser, our urban landscapes have fast become sensory battlegrounds bright lights, blaring sirens, buzzing smartphones and the never-ending barrage of data we are confronted with every day all play a part in stretching-thin our shortening attention spans and negatively affecting our mental well being. It is true that people living in cities have a 40% higher risk of depression and a 20% increased risk of anxiety compared to those in rural areas. Burnout has become so prevalent that the World Health Organization now recognizes it as an occupational phenomenon, and the fact is, we need to do something about it. We need clarity and calm.Like the Garden City movement that followed the poisonous polluting Industrial Revolution or the Modernism that brought structure and simplicity after the war, ambient architecture is a response to what is happening around us as architects and designers strive to create buildings that whisper instead of shout to bring much-needed tranquillity to our concrete jungles.cole de ltincelle (Lab-cole) by BGLA architecture | urban design, Agence Spatiale inc., APPAREIL Architecture, Chicoutimi, Canada | Popular Choice Winner, Primary and High Schools, 12th Annual A+Awards | Photograph by Maxime BrouiletteFirstly, architects and designers are dialing back the visual chaos. While flamboyant faades and awe-inspiring angels are far from a thing of the past, theres a noticeable shift towards simplicity and authenticity that favors cohesion, clean lines, and a sense of unclutteredness inside and out. Many of these ambient buildings blend in with their terrain, amplifying what already exists or integrating within the landscape instead of fighting for the front seat. By stripping away unnecessary ornamentation and focusing on essential forms that protect and preserve their surroundings, architects are creating buildings that give our eyes a much-needed break. Designing monuments that soothe rather than stimulate, allowing us to enjoy our towns and cities without relentless visual assault.Novonesis Innovation Campus by Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, Hrsholm, Denmark | Popular Choice Winner, Factories and Warehouses, 12th Annual A+Awards | Photograph by Rasmus Hjortshj.Similarly, theres a renewed focus on materiality and tactile simplicity. By returning to natural materials timber, stone, and earth architects can appease our inherent need for nature and biophilic properties, counteracting the feelings of abnormality that arise when human beings are solely surrounded by glass and concrete. In other ways, architects are choosing to include variations of texture to evoke visual interest rather than a broad material pallet, simplifying their scheme without losing impact with techniques like stone carving, plaster moulding, and perforations. Ergonomic simplicity also plays a part here. Choosing products, fittings and furnishings that feel intuitive and comfortable to use, they are well designed, and engaging with them is subtly reassuring. Like Enos music, our surroundings become a background, not demanding our attention, simply there.Bike Parking IJboulevard by VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Jury Winner, Transport Interiors, 12th Annual A+Awards | Photo by Ossip van Duivenbode.Perhaps the most groundbreaking and necessary shift is towards cognitive simplicity. As cities and our lives grow more complex, so does our mental load. Architects are now designing spaces that can help alleviate cognitive strain by simplifying the way we engage with our environments. This can mean a few things. Firstly, designing layouts that are easy to navigate and prioritize the user over the perceived special value to reduce the mental effort needed to find our way. In the instance of urban planning, wayfinding becomes more natural and intuitive, with clear sightlines and logical progression from one place to another, returning to basic principles like hierarchies and module repetition. By minimizing decision fatigue and reducing environmental complexities, architects are designing spaces that dont just look and feel simple but are actually simple to inhabit.Cognitive simplicity doesnt stop there, either. Despite technology being much of the problem with sensory overload, in the modern world, technology can be a force for good, not evil. Intuitive technology is a fancy but easy way to lighten our mental load. Adjustable lighting, automatic temperatures, and sound level alteration all exist and can be incorporated to create spaces and places that are comfortable without the user having to think about them. Smart systems make navigating streets and buildings intuitive. By allowing technology to work seamlessly in the background, we remove much of the everyday mundane thinking required by each individual, leaving space to think. Like ambient music, cognitive simplicity and ambient architecture aim to declutter the mind at every opportunity, creating buildings and even whole cities that one day will hopefully be as ignorable as it was interesting.Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of Worlds Best Architecture Firm. Start an A+Firm Award Application today.The post Ambient Architecture: Designing for Tranquility in a Over Stimulated World appeared first on Journal.