Design studio OMI Collective has created an archive documenting tropical modernist architecture in Lagos, Nigeria. Here, its founder Olorufemi Adewuyi spotlights seven stand-out buildings featured in it.The archive has been created by OMI Collective to help raise awareness of and preserve buildings of this style in the city, with many having been abandoned or demolished.Lagos-based OMI Collective believes that architects have much to learn from tropical modernism and by doing so can "build better"."We think that by learning from these buildings people are going to be able to build better in this context," Adewuyi told Dezeen."I think that from just continuously engaging with the buildings, there's a lot of intelligence to unpack."The archive will also document murals found on tropical modernist buildingsTropical modernist architecture became a common feature in Lagos's urban landscape from the 1940s, as the architectural style spread across colonial West Africa and India. It was funded by the British government amid growing calls for independence in the region.The style saw the fusing of European modernism with details that respond to these regions' tropical, humid climates, including brise soleils and louvres for shading and ventilation.When Nigeria gained independence from British rule in 1960, the use of the style continued, becoming a symbol of modernity, independence and growth well into the 1970s.The collective has created the digital, open-source archive of the buildings with partial funding from the Goethe-Institut in Nigeria. It hopes it can counteract the gradual erasure of these buildings and make education on the movement as accessible as possible.Among the featured buildings are the Trade Fair Complex completed in 1977 and Necom House completed in 1979, currently documented through photographs.Read: V&A's Tropical Modernism exhibition explores "the politics behind the concrete""If architecture in Nigeria is going to really be in a significant place, more people have to be engaged, and we also have to recognise that a lot of people cannot be engaged currently because of the economic barrier," Adewuyi said."Also because a lot of these buildings are now abandoned, and at the same time locked down, people can't necessarily get into them," he continued."By doing the archive, we're basically breaking down that barrier to entry that already exists," he added. "And in that process, maybe we get more people to think really critically about architecture and about maybe even newer modes of presentation."The archive will soon also include building surveys and maps made with photogrammetry, alongside other interactive elements that allow users to "engage with them more closely".Alongside the buildings, OMI Collective has also begun to document decolonial murals often found on the city's tropical modernist buildings.Read on for a look at seven tropical modernist buildings in Lagos:The Western House, 1958, byNickson, Borys & Partners "This is one of the earliest high-rise buildings to change Lagos' skyline."Its vast blue, yellow, and white mosaic facade, designed by Jeanne Mount, is hard to miss and leaves quite an impression."Trade Fair Complex, 1977, by Zoran Bojovic"Commissioned during Nigeria's oil boom, this complex may have lost some of its shine, but its bronze facade still catches the eye."It was designed by Zoran Bojovic and Energoprojekt and is one of the country's most ambitious modernist projects."Independence House, 1960, by Federal Ministry of Works"This 25-storey building, commissioned by the British government to celebrate Nigeria's independence, was built by the Federal Ministry of Works.""Outside, you'll find two bas-relief sculptures by Felix Idubor and a breathtaking mural by Yusuf Grillo in the reception area."Tafawa Balewa Square, c. 1960s, by Isaac Fola-Alade"Once known as Race Course, this 14.5-hectare space sits in the heart of Lagos' Central Business District."Its large sculpted metal gates designed by Paul Mount, now demolished, were a true standout feature."Itiku House, c. 1960s, by John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood and Eric Morgan"Tucked away on a small plot at McCarthy Street, Lagos, is this clunky yet striking building.""With five- to seven-metre-long cantilevered floors on both sides of its service core, it stands out for its bold structural design."Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, c. 1970s, by John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood"This modernist gem at the University of Lagos mediates the undulating terrain it sits on gracefully."It is one of the masterworks of the duo of John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood that continues to inspire."Necom House, 1979, byNickson Borys & Partners "Standing tall at the corner of Marina and Broad Street, Lagos, this 32-storey tower is hard to miss with its steel-on-concrete spire."Inside, there are also two large murals, though their creators remain unknown."The photography is by Olajide Ayeni.The post Seven tropical modernist buildings in Lagos with "a lot of intelligence to unpack" appeared first on Dezeen.

Industrial design duo SF-SO has developed a range of modular bent-metal storage that is only 1.6 millimetres thick but can support the equivalent of a baby elephant in weight.The Thin furniture series is the first direct-to-consumer collection created by SF-SO founders Jae-hoon Jung and Ho-young Joo, designed with consideration for manufacturing and distribution.SF-SO has developed a range of modular shelving from mild steel sheetsThe collection includes a storage unit and wall shelf, made from mild steel sheets with a thickness of just 1.6 millimetres that are bent at right angles and interlocked to form a robust and stable structure with a slimline appearance."The designs emphasise minimalism and precision, achieving a paper-like aesthetic while maintaining functionality and strength," Jung told Dezeen. "From a distance, the storage unit appears almost weightless."The metal sheets have a thickness of just 1.6 millimetresDespite its lightweight look, the folding technique used to construct the storage unit enables it to support over 100 kilograms of weight on its shelves without requiring additional reinforcement. That's around as much as an elephant calf weights at birth.SF-SO's construction also conceals the fixings used to join the pieces beneath the shelves, so they are hidden when the unit is viewed from most angles.The simple connecting system comprises screws that slot through pre-drilled holes in the folded sections, ensuring users can easily build the furniture themselves.The Thin series comes in a range of different colours and finishesThe duo's decision to use sheet metal as their main material for the Thin collection was driven by a desire to create simple products that can be produced affordably."Not only is sheet metal bending a straightforward manufacturing method, but the resulting product can be easily assembled and disassembled using simple hardware," Jung said."This allows the product to be packed as compactly as possible, enabling efficient global shipping."Read: Josmo opens Mumbai store with "just the right amount of drama"The modular shelving panels are available in standardised lengths of 50 and 80 centimetres, with two heights of either 50 and 80 centimetres allowing for four different configurations.Various units can be arranged side-by-side to create systems of varying lengths, while a range of different colours and finishes allows customers to personalise the finished product.The storage unit is able to support over 100 kilograms of weightThe Thin Wall Shelf applies the same principles as the storage unit although it doesn't support quite as much weight combining two 45-degree-folded metal panels to create a shelf with a minimal profile.The product appears to touch the wall at a single point where the two folded metal sheets meet, enhancing its weightless aesthetic. A gap between the wall and the vertical part of the shelf provides additional space for placing items such as letters or books.The Thin Wall Shelf is designed to appear as if it is floatingThe products are straightforward to ship due to the use of uniform panels that can be stacked and flat packed, helping to reduce costs and lower emissions during transportation.The collection is manufactured by Heungbu Industries in Incheon, South Korea, using laser cutting machinery along with automated bending machines and precision robotic welding.The Thin furniture series will be made available through the studio's SFSO-MFG online retail platform, set to launch in February 2025 to allow the designers to sell their pieces directly to consumers.A gap between the wall and the shelf provides additional space for placing itemsJung told Dezeen that SF-SO plans to introduce new items to the Thin series, including stools, tables and chairs that share the same design language.Since joining forces in 2019, the design duo has worked on a range of projects applying their minimalist approach to objects ranging from furniture to lighting and electronics.Previously, the studio has created a series of digital products with analogue interfaces, including a conical Bluetooth speaker that is turned on by flipping it on its side.The photography is courtesy of SF-SO.The post SF-SO folds steel sheets to create "paper-like" shelving system appeared first on Dezeen.

The climate and colours of the New England coast influenced the interiors of this hotel in Portland, Maine, designed by New York-based studio Post Company.The Longfellow Hotel occupies a new building in the city's West End neighbourhood, a short distance from the historic Old Port area.In the lobby of The Longfellow Hotel, turmeric-coloured sofas contrast the pale seafoam-green wallsNamed after local poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the 48-room boutique hotel is operated by Maine-based Uncommon Hospitality."Much like the famed poet's enduring words, the hotel reflects the location's rugged charm and extremes of the environment from cold, blustery winters to sun-soaked summer months," said the hotel team.The 48 guest rooms blend traditional mouldings and contemporary furnitureThe ground-floor lobby space features soaring ceilings elongated by tall windows, rail and stile wall panelling, and a series of minimal brass chandeliers.To one side of the entrance, a lounge area is formed by turmeric-coloured modular sofas that contrast the pale seafoam-green walls and black-and-white penny round flooring.Elements like black wooden furniture and dark light fixtures contrast the off-white paintwork. Photo by Chris MottaliniOn the other is an open space where a large wooden dining table, various patterned seating options and small accent tables offer spots for guests to work or relax.The hotel's bar named Five of Clubs is located at the far end, backed by a huge mirror and surrounded by vintage artwork.Some of the rooms feature cosy workspace nooks"The interiors feel familiar, yet impart a true sense of place, by blending contemporary elements with traditional touches to evoke a modern timelessness," said Post Company partner Jou-Yie Chou."The design establishes a sequence of spaces that invite visitors in, while handsome details encourage them to linger and indulge."Contrasting black and white decor continues in the bathroomsBeyond the bar is the small Twinflower Cafe that serves coffee, pastries and a selection of breakfast dishes.A separate yet connected entrance leads to the hotel's Astraea spa, which was minimally designed with local granite surfaces, textured limewash walls and natural wood flooring.All of the rooms are outfitted with wide-plank oak flooring. Photo by Chris MottaliniThe guest rooms are spread across the upper floors and blend traditional and contemporary design elements.All are outfitted with wide-plank oak floors accented with monochromatic trim, crown and baseboard mouldings.Read: Post Company imbues Mollie Aspen hotel interiors with earthy huesBlack doors, closet pulls, light fixtures and furniture pieces like tables and chairs juxtapose the off-white paintwork.Meanwhile, custom headboards with scalloped tops and TRNK-designed chaise lounges were upholstered in jewel-toned velvet for added contrast.On the top floor is a communal lounge space for quiet activitiesAlso on the top floor is a communal lounge room for reading, working, board games and other low-key activities.Hotel guests can take advantage of complimentary bicycle rentals and an electric car service. These are among a number of eco-conscious efforts made by the property, which also include zero single-use plastics and all-electric appliances.The hotel's Astraea spa is minimally designed with Scandinavian influencesFormerly known as Studio Tack, Post Company has completed a variety of hotels across the US over the past few years: from a historic property in Carmel-by-the-Sea to a boutique spot in Aspen that's decorated with earthy hues.The latter, named Mollie Aspen, was shortlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2024.The photography is by Carley Rudd unless stated otherwise.The post Maine's "rugged charm" informs The Longfellow Hotel by Post Company appeared first on Dezeen.

The Cardboard Cathedral in New Zealand by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is the next building to secure its place in our list of the 25 most significant buildings of the 21st century.Cardboard is unlikely to spring to mind for most when considering materials suited to building a cathedral, yet it is exactly what Shigeru Ban opted for when creating one in Christchurch in 2013.Defined by its steep A-frame, the Cardboard Cathedral, known officially as the Transitional Cathedral, is formed of 98 cardboard tubes combined with wood and polycarbonate.It was designed by Ban as a pro-bono project following the deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake on New Zealand's South Island in 2011.Remarkably, it was only ever intended to be temporary, but it quickly became one of New Zealand's most iconic buildings, offering citizens a symbol of resilience and hope.The Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch was the most significant building of 2013The 2011 Christchurch earthquake and its aftershocks tore through the city, claiming the lives of 185 people and destroying numerous buildings, most notably its landmark Anglican cathedral.Ban's replacement for the cathedral, realised with local studio Warren and Mahoney, was the first non-commercial structure to be built in the city centre after the disaster. It was only intended to remain in place until a more permanent cathedral was constructed a controversial subject that divided critics and saw many people call for the original building to be restored.The building's innovative construction and its impact as a first major sign of new life seem to have captured the collective imaginationAndrew Barrie in the Architectural ReviewHowever, despite these circumstances, the cardboard cathedral was soon identified as an icon that encapsulated the city's revival, ultimately cementing its place there.In his review of the building in 2014, architecture critic Andrew Barrie suggested that the impact of the structure on the earthquake-ravaged city was immediately visible."The building's innovative construction and its impact as a first major sign of new life seem to have captured the collective imagination, and the now permanent structure seems set to become an enduring symbol of Christchurch's revival," Barrie wrote in a piece for the Architectural Review.Shigeru Ban designed it as a replacement for the city's earthquake-ravaged cathedral"Even before its completion, it had begun to replace the old neo-Gothic cathedral as a symbol of the city, appearing in national television advertisement among iconic city scenes from around the country," Barrie added."Ban's project serves as a reminder not only of the way that Japan and New Zealand were united in loss, but also of the potential that may yet be unlocked in the common task of rebuilding."Perhaps this outcome was expected by Ban, who previously stated that "if a building is loved, then it becomes permanent"."The lifespan of a building has nothing to do with the materials. It depends on what people do with it," he once told the Guardian."If a building is loved, then it becomes permanent. When it is not loved, even a concrete building can be temporary."Read: Ryue Nishizawa's Moriyama House was the most significant building of 2005The Cardboard Cathedral's A-frame is formed of 98 cardboard tubes filled with wooden structural beams and raised on walls formed from eight shipping containers. A polycarbonate roof crowns the structure.Its structure is animated at one end by a large coloured-glass window, formed from a patchwork of triangles that illuminate the worship space for 700 people.Though it occupies a different plot one approximately a 10-minute walk away Ban based the form and scale of the building on the original cathedral to offer visitors a sense of familiarity.Inside, the worship hall is filled with matching cardboard furniture, designed by Ban, including a cardboard tube pulpit.It is constructed with 98 cardboard tubesFor some, the most striking factor about Ban's choice of cardboard is that the cathedral replaces a Gothic revival-era structure, in a place nicknamed a garden city because of its traditional architecture that bears a resemblance to towns in England.It is perhaps this very juxtaposition that makes the Cardboard Cathedral so impactful, illustrating the value of breaking convention and testing materials and proving that contemporary and traditional design can co-exist.It also demonstrates that architecture does not have to be extravagant and resource-intensive to be valuable and long-lasting."The quality of the building doesn't depend on the quality of the materials," Ban once said when discussing the project. "It depends on the quality of the space that is created by volume, light and shadow."Furnishings including a pulpit are also made of cardboardFinancial Times critic Edwin Heathcote described the building as "remarkable"."It is one of the most remarkable, uplifting and joyful churches I have seen, one that takes an almost childlike pleasure in its chunky tubes, elemental building-blocks form and translucent surfaces," wrote Heathcote.For those familiar with Ban's work, his choice of cardboard for the project will not have come as a surprise.The cathedral is a large-scale evolution of the lightweight and low-cost shelters that he has created with cardboard tubes for disaster victims around the world most recently in Europe to house Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.It also follows the architect's cardboard-tube chapel in Japan, built after the Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe in 1995 and later relocated to Taiwan.As demonstrated by his work, cardboard is a material well-suited to these seismic zones, as it can withstand quakes that might destroy heavier structures built from concrete. Additionally, it lends itself easily to disassembly and reassembly.Read: IM Pei's Museum of Islamic Art was the most significant building of 2008"The strength of the materials is unrelated to the strength of the building," Ban once told the Japan Times. "The first time I used paper was for an interior, but I realised it was strong enough to be used as a structural element to actually hold up the building."Today, the cardboard cathedral is arguably one of Ban's most lauded projects and just one year after it was completed, he was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.In his announcement, the former Pritzker Architecture Prize jury chairman and British property developer Peter Palumbo hailed Ban as "a force of nature"."This is entirely appropriate in the light of his voluntary work for the homeless and dispossessed in areas that have been devastated by natural disasters," Palumbo said."But he also ticks the several boxes for qualification to the Architectural Pantheon a profound knowledge of his subject with a particular emphasis on cutting-edge materials and technology; total curiosity and commitment; endless innovation; an infallible eye; an acute sensibility to name but a few."Did we get it right? Was the Cardboard Cathedral by Shigeru Ban the most significant building completed in 2013? Let us know in the comments. We will be running a poll once all 25 buildings are revealed to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildingsseries, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influentialbuilding from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is byJack Bedford and the photography is by Stephen Goodenough.21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000: Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001: Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis Kr2002: Bergisel Ski Jump by Zaha Hadid2003: Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry2004: Quinta Monroy by Elemental2005: Moriyama House by Ryue Nishizawa2006: Madrid-Barajas airport by RSHP and Estudio Lamela2007:Oslo Opera House by Snhetta2008:Museum of Islamic Art by I M Pei2009:Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton Architects2010:Burj Khalifa by SOM2011: National September 11 Memorial by Handel Architects2012: CCTV Headquarters by OMA2013: Cardboard Cathedral by Shigeru BanThis list will be updated as the series progresses.The post Shigeru Ban's Cardboard Cathedral was the most significant building of 2013 appeared first on Dezeen.

Our latest lookbook showcases kitchens that incorporate blue hues in unexpected and striking ways, transforming the heart of the home into a vibrant statement. From terrazzo-inspired countertops to floor tiling, the kitchens featured in this lookbook go beyond traditional uses of the colour blue.Whether it's paired with gold accents, timber details or other colours, here are eight kitchens that redefine how shades of blue can be used to bring personality and character to the home.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring earthy finishes, listening bars and bathrooms with sculptural stone sinks.Photo by Sean DavidsonHudson Heights Apartment, USA, by Ideas of OrderNew York architecture studio Ideas of Order injected this 1,000-square-foot apartment at the northern tip of Manhattan with bright hues, creating distinct identities for each area of the home.Periwinkle blue and raspberry purple cabinets define the kitchen, which also features an aluminium backsplash and matching panels above.Find out more about Hudson Heights Apartment Photo is courtesy of Surman WestonMakepeace Mansions Apartment, UK, by Surman WestonDrawing from the nearby art deco tube stations, architecture studio Surman Weston decorated this apartment with bespoke elements and curved shapes that were synonymous with the art deco period.The turquoise blue kitchen countertops were inlaid with timber chips of varying sizes to create a terrazzo-like finish, complemented by the oakwood fluted panels and circular brass handles of the cupboards.Find out more about Makepeace Mansions Apartment Photo by Jacob MilliganJewellery Box, UK, by Michael Collins ArchitectsAptly named Jewellery Box, this two-storey home extension and renovation by Hertfordshire studio Michael Collins Architects features a vibrant textured interior that contrasts its subdued exterior.The kitchen's Inchyra Blue cabinets and surfaces were paired with gold backsplashes and door handles, creating an unexpected interplay of colour and material.Find out more about Jewellery Box Photo by Sam FrostCasa Mallorca, USA, by Rob DiazDark blue-green stone counters and a matching backsplash stand out from the wood-dominated kitchen of Casa Mallorca, the self-designed Los Angeles home of Rob Diaz.Inspired by Mallorcan villas, the house was designed to bring the outdoors in through the use of earth-toned surfaces and natural materials.Find out more about Casa Mallorca Photo by Ypsilon Business PhotographyLamat House, Belgium, by Objekt ArchitectenBelgian studio Objekt Architecten updated this traditional red-brick home with a contemporary interior that features a double-height living area at the rear of the house.The kitchen was outfitted entirely in blue, with matching pale blue cabinetry, worktops and floor tiles that extend to the tropical planter dividing the kitchen from the dining room.Find out more about Lamat House Photo by Ruth Maria MurphyLovers Walk, Ireland, by Kingston Lafferty DesignDublin studio Kingston Lafferty Design drew inspiration from the work of designer Verner Panton for the 1970s-style interiors of this family home in Cork.A seafoam blue ceiling adds an unexpected pop of colour to this red-toned kitchen, where the counter, island and backsplash are finished in veined red quartzite.Find out more about Lovers Walk Photo by Jos HeviaPSM21 House, Spain, by Ral Snchez ArchitectsSpanish studio Ral Snchez Architects merged two separate apartments into one home by adding an interior staircase and incorporating colourful details.At the heart of the space is a blue-painted "kitchen cube", which houses the kitchen, a small storage room and the internal staircase, combining character with functionality.Find out more about PSM21 House Photo by Andy StaggKennington House, UK, by R2 StudioThis narrow 19th-century house was revitalised by London-based architecture studio R2 with a colourful open-plan living space and loft extension offering rooftop views.The kitchen is characterised by its use of primary colours, integrating dark blue cabinets with yellow cabinets and bright red bar stools.Find out more about Kennington House This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring earthy finishes, listening bars and bathrooms with sculptural stone sinks.The post Eight kitchens that incorporate bold splashes of blue appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture office Studio Wok has transformed a disused technical building at QuadroDesign's headquarters in northern Italy into an artist residency, with living and sleeping areas accommodated in its unusually shaped roof.Milan-based Studio Wok redesigned the headquarters for tapware brand QuadroDesign in 2022 and was subsequently asked to oversee this second phase, overhauling an area of the surrounding grounds.Studio Wok has created an artist residency for the QuadroDesign campusThe centrepiece of the project is a small cabin, originally used to house electrical infrastructure for the production facility located near Lake Orta in Italy's Piedmont region.Enrico and Elena Magistro, who inherited the company from their parents, wanted the building to echo the same pared-back style and neutral palette used for their redesigned offices and showroom.The outdoor area consists of a pergola and poolPositioned in a corner of the site, surrounded by greenery, the cabin now contains a flexible space that can be used for commercial events as well as for hosting resident artists.The original shape and structure of the cabin were retained but its dimensions of just three by 9.5 metres were unsuited to the proposed domestic functions.The cabin's shape and structure were retainedStudio Wok proposed extending upwards into the existing roof space, which reaches a height of eight metres and was likely created to allow heat from electrical machinery to escape through a window at the apex."The internal space, narrow and developed in height, is not usual for a home in fact, it was designed to accommodate other functions," architect Nicola Brenna told Dezeen."It was very stimulating to implement a 'domestication' process and make it suitable for living."The ground floor features an open-plan roomThe cabin, which was most recently used as a warehouse and tool shed, was stripped back and internal partitions were removed to create a versatile open-plan room on the ground floor.Openings on this level were reorganised and enlarged to create an enhanced connection with the outdoors, particularly when the newly installed sliding metal doors are retracted.Read: Studio Bua creates "elemental look" for black cabin overlooking Icelandic fjordBuilt-in joinery along the room's rear wall supports a sofa and incorporates two steps that connect with a metal staircase leading to the upper levels.A wall of cabinets at the opposite end of the space conceals a door leading to a shower room and WC that was added so the building can be used for temporary accommodation.Built-in joinery along the wall incorporates steps and a sofaThe two mezzanine levels contain more intimate spaces including a sleeping area located on a newly constructed wooden platform above the kitchen.A second set of stairs leads to a small seating area, housed in an existing concrete walkway near the top of the roof. Here, Studio Wok installed a simple wooden bench that receives natural illumination from the nearby window.A wall of cabinets conceals the door to the bathroomThroughout the interior, the studio utilised a minimal material palette to create what the founders describe as an "almost sacred space".A series of outdoor spaces connected by a concrete slab was introduced as part of the project, with a pergola positioned perpendicular to the cabin housing an outdoor kitchen and dining area.The pergola is made from tubular galvanised steel profilesThe pergola is built from tubular galvanised steel profiles, with five spans spaced 2.6 metres apart from one another. Two of the spans are covered with a lightweight corrugated metal roof that shelters the custom-made stone and metal kitchen counter.The final intervention is a small pool that is partly sunken into the earth. The monolithic construction is clad with anthracite stone to echo the volume of the kitchen and create a seating area that also defines the boundary of the landscaped zone.The pool is partially sunken into the groundStudio Wok was founded in 2012 by Brenna together with Marcello Bondavalli and Carlo Alberto Tagliabue. The studio adopts an artisanal approach to its projects, crafting solutions that respond to each site's unique setting, materiality, light and atmosphere.Previous works by Studio Wok include a bakery and wine bar in Milan featuring a matcha-green counter and the transformation of a neglected barn near Verona into a country home.The photography is by Marcello Mariana.The post Studio Wok converts abandoned electrical cabin into minimalist artist residency appeared first on Dezeen.

Cast-glass sconces and amber window panes radiate a soft caramel glow across Loma bar in Providence, Rhode Island, designed by New York-based Studio Becky Carter.Loma is owned by Leishla Maldonado, who grew up in a Puerto Rican family, and brothers Osman and Yefri Cortave, who emigrated from Guatemala as children.A custom mahogany screen obscures the view on Loma from the bar's entranceThe trio's vision for the compact space was to reflect their roots and provide guests with an intimate experience."From the beginning, the three owners of Loma knew they wanted their space to have a distinct 'vintage Latin bar' feel welcoming, warm, tucked away," said Carter.Terracotta tiles cover the floor and side tables as an homage to Latin American interiors"We embraced the 450 square footprint, amplifying the intimacy by leaning into darker, more monotone hues, the entirety wrapped in warmth," she added.Lighting played a key role in setting the tone, and Carter sourced a set of 1970s Italian cast glass sconces that produce dynamic shadows across the lime-washed walls.1970s cast-glass sconces and amber window panes create a soft glow within the barThe two street-facing windows were covered with a second pane of textured amber glass to diffuse the natural light and add to the warm radiant glow.A custom mahogany partition separates the entrance from the rest of the bar, with rectangular cutouts offering peeks through before rounding the corner.A custom velvet-upholstered banquette wraps the main seating area"Upon entering the bar, guests encounter glimpses, corner-of-the-eye moments, rays of warm glowing light, objects in the periphery," Carter said. "Each detail reveals itself as part of the greater whole over time."Terracotta tiles cover the floor as an homage to Latin American interiors and also wrap cylindrical side tables for placing drinks upon.Read: Studio Becky Carter creates "distinctly New York" interiors for Cecchi's restaurantMost of the furniture pieces and objects displayed are vintage or second-hand, selected by Carter and the Loma team together.The remainder were custom designed by Carter and fabricated by locally based Transom Woodwork for the project, including a velvet-upholstered banquette that wraps the main seating area.The bar itself is designed as a cosy niche and has only four stools for easy conversationThe bar itself is designed as a cosy niche wrapped in lacquered mahogany, with only four stools so that Maldonado can easily converse with guests as she prepares drinks.Only a curated, rotating selection of liquor bottles is displayed on the back bar and a huge cube of ice is hand-chiseled for each drink.A variety of vintage and second-hand items were sourced by Carter and the Loma team for the spaceFounded in 2016, Studio Becky Carter was shortlisted for emerging interior designer of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2023.The firm's other hospitality projects include Cecchi's restaurant in Manhattan's West Village, which pulls together references from Bauhaus luncheonettes to comedic characters.The photography is by Joseph Kramm.The post Studio Becky Carter uses amber glass to cast moody light inside Providence bar appeared first on Dezeen.

Houses by Richard Neutra and Ray Kappe are among more than 12,000 structures lost in the ongoing fires in Los Angeles. Here, we roundup five of the most significant to have been destroyed.The Palisades and Eaton fires are the two largest of the several fires that have caused at least 24 deaths and the destruction of more than 12,000 buildings in Los Angeles since they began early last week.The fires, exacerbated by strong winds and drought conditions, have destroyed whole neighbourhoods, and hundreds of thousands of people have had to evacuate. Power outages and contaminated drinking water have affected thousands more.As of today, increases in wind speeds threaten to expand the ongoing fires.Above: a home designed by Richard Neutra was destroyed in the fire. Image via Los Angeles Damage Inspection (DINS) database. Top: the house before the fire. Photo copyright of Julius Shulman and Juergen NogaiGroups such as the Los Angeles Conservancy and Save Iconic Architecture are tracking the status of buildings deemed iconic or noteworthy in the midst of the "unfathomable" damage in the city.Many iconic structures that were under threat have now been marked safe including: Eames House and adjacent Eames Case Study Houses, Getty Villa, Craig Ellwood's Hunt House in Malibu, Buff, Straub & Hensman's Bass House and The Alfred Newman-Martha Montgomery House by Frank Lloyd Wright.Read: "The scale of the damage is unfathomable" say Los Angeles architectsMeanwhile, officials have been compiling data on a house-by-house destruction report. Many of the destroyed modernist homes are located in Malibu and the Palisades, while the Eaton fire destroyed many historical Spanish Revival and Craftsmen-style homes in the town of Altadena.Below are some of the most significant houses lost in the ongoing Palisades and Eaton fires:Photo copyright of Julius Shulman and Juergen NogaiThe Benedict and Nancy Freedman House by Richard Neutra, Pacific PalisadesRenowned modernist architect Neutra designed this small house in 1949 for two screenwriters.Built primarily with wood, the original structure had a single low volume with massive glass windows and clerestories. It was slowly expanded to become a two-level house over the years, remodelled by local studio Nonzero\architecture (studio bau:ton).View this post on InstagramA post shared by Save Iconic Architecture (@saveiconicarchitecture)Robert Bridges House by Robert Bridges, Pacific PalisadesArchitect Robert Bridges designed this home to cantilever off a cliffside in the neighbourhood, supported by massive concrete pillars.It was built in the 1980s in the brutalist style but clad in California redwood.Photo courtesy of Tim Street-Porter/Crosby Doe AssociatesKeeler House by Ray Kappe, Pacific PalisadesSCI-Arc founder Kappe built this home for a jazz musician in 1991, using his own house nearby as a reference.The modern structure featured mostly wood construction and multiple tiers with terraces that cantilevered out towards the street. It was one of many Kappe designs to be destroyed, including the Culbert House in Malibu.Photo via WikipediaAndrew McNally House by Frederick L Roehrig, AltadenaBuilt for the president of technology company Rand McNally, this Queen Anne-style mansion in Altadena was one of the first significant works in the area and had become indicative of its late 19th-century architecture.New York-born architect Frederick Louis Roehrig designed the house, constructing it out of mostly wood with massive rotundas on one side.Photo via WikipediaScripps Hall by C W Buchanan, AltadenaAlso known as the Pasadena Waldorf School, this Craftsman-style structure was designated on the National Historic Register.The three-storey structure was made from wood and brick and featured the extruded rafters typical of the style when it was completed in 1904.The post Richard Neutra house among iconic homes lost during LA fires appeared first on Dezeen.

Continuing our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series, we take a look at OMA's CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, an iconic symbol of China's construction boom.OMA's skyscraper was among the first wave of high-profile buildings designed by Europe's top architects as China announced its presence as an economic and construction powerhouse.Nicknamed "big pants" by locals and billed as "the greatest work of architecture built in this century" by critics, the extremely distinctive skyscraper gained global attention as a symbol of Beijing.OMA's CCTV Headquarters was the most significant building of 2012The steel and glass building, which houses the headquarters and production facilities for state-owned China Central Television, has an unusual and experimental angular looped shape.Although it officially opened in 2012, its structure and facades were already completed ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2008, when the world's attention turned to the Chinese capital.It led a generation of impressive, often unusual buildings that came to define both China's emergence as a global power and the country's reputation as fertile ground for international architecture studios.A 75-metre bridge connects the top of the building's two towersFormed of two leaning towers that are joined on the upper floors by a 75-metre cantilevered bridge, the gravity-defying building breaks away from the typical skyscraper typology.The CCTV Headquarters was designed by OMA co-founder Rem Koolhaas and German architect Ole Scheeren, who was director of the studio's Beijing office at the time, along with partner David Gianotten and project manager Dongmei Yao.Read: Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall was the most significant building of 2003The skyscraper was met with criticism when its design was first revealed in 2003, with its overhanging bridge, engineered by Arup, raising concerns in the earthquake-prone city.Others were critical of a foreign architect designing the prestigious building. Tsinghua University architecture professor Wu Liangyong, who led a research team studying the buildings of Beijing's 2008 Summer Olympics remarked that "when foreign architects come to China acting like architectural masters, it is a direct result of the sad fact that Chinese people like to call foreigners gods," as reported by The New Yorker.The looped shape of the CCTV Headquarters was designed to encourage a sense of communityKoolhaas maintained that the building's conjoined shape was informed by the Chinese cultural tradition of collectivism, intending to reinforce a sense of community in the building rather than separate people into two separate skyscrapers.A 2009 fire in an adjacent building left the CCTV building needing restoration work, but when it finally opened in 2012, it did so to critical acclaim.It is one of the most beguiling and powerful works I've seen in a lifetime of looking at architecture Nicolai Ouroussof in the New York TimesArchitecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff praised it in the New York Times as "the greatest work of architecture built in this century"."At moments monumental and combative, at others strangely elusive, almost retiring, it is one of the most beguiling and powerful works I've seen in a lifetime of looking at architecture," Ouroussof said."Mr Koolhaas has created an eloquent architectural statement about China's headlong race into the future and, more generally, life in the developed world at the beginning of the 21st century," he continued. "It captures our era much as the great works of the early modernists did theirs."Its unusual form prompted the Chinese president to call for "no more weird architecture"However, the skyscraper's unusual form was not celebrated by all. In 2014, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced he wanted "no more weird architecture" in the country after the Chinese property boom led to a number of bombastic structures.Koolhaas's skyscraper came under fire by Jinping in a two-hour speech made at a literary symposium, along with a pair of bridges over the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Chongqing that have been compared to female genitalia.His complaints also followed the completion ofa skyscraper shaped like a giant doughnut and Zaha Hadid's pebble-shaped Wangjing Soho complex.Read: SOM's Burj Khalifa was the most significant building of 2010Koolhaas hit back at Jinping's comments and defended his design."I don't have the slightest difficulty in saying, or showing, or demonstrating, that CCTV is a very serious building," Koolhaas told Dezeen at the time."[CCTV is] a building that introduces new ways of conceptualising, liberating and realising structure that did not exist in China before, and of which I'm sure Chinese culture and Chinese architecture will benefit," he added. "It articulates the position and the situation of China."The skyscraper was made from steel and glassA skyscraper akin to the unusual shape of the CCTV Headquarters is unlikely to be built again in China.In February 2016, just over a year after Jinping slated the CCTV Headquarters, China put an end to the trend of unusual architecture by issuing new planning guidance.The country's State Council released a document that forbade "oversized, xenocentric and weird" buildings, stating that all new buildings should be "suitable, economic, green and pleasing to the eye".Koolhaas designed the CCTV Headquarters as an alternative to traditional skyscrapersKoolhaas's design for the CCTV Headquarters featured on the front cover of his book, Content, which was published in 2003.In a chapter titled Kill the Skyscraper, Koolhaas outlined his discontent with skyscrapers at the time, which he argued had become cliched."The skyscraper has become less interesting in inverse proportion to its success," Koolhaas wrote in the chapter. "It has not been refined, but corrupted."I didn't think there was a lot of creative life left in skyscrapersRem KoolhaasAccording to the architect, his design for the CCTV Headquarters sought to offer an alternative to the traditional archetype and redefine the skyscraper.Ironically, after claiming he wanted to "kill the skyscraper", Koolhaas's CCTV Headquarters won the world's best skyscraper in 2013, beating the Shard in London by Renzo Piano.Koolhaas acknowledged this irony when accepting the award,which was given by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).In 2013, the building was named the world's best skyscraper"When I published my last book, Content, in 2003, one chapter was called 'Kill the Skyscraper'," said Koolhaas in a presentation about the project to CTBUH. "Basically, it was an expression of disappointment at the way the skyscraper typology was used and applied.""I didn't think there was a lot of creative life left in skyscrapers," he continued. "Therefore, I tried to launch a campaign against the skyscraper in its more uninspired form.""The fact that I am standing on this stage now, in this position, meant that my declaration of war went completely unnoted and that my campaign was completely unsuccessful."Although the building inevitably became surrounded by more skyscrapers built to greater heights, the CCTV Headquarters still demands attention to this day for its impressive form and rejection of the norm.Whether beloved or loathed, the building serves as a visual reminder of China's construction boom and its rise to economic global dominance in the last quarter-century.Did we get it right? Was the CCTV Headquarters by OMA the most significant building completed in 2012? Let us know in the comments. We will be running a poll once all 25 buildings are revealed to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influential building from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is by Jack Bedford and the photography is by Philippe Ruault.21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000: Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001: Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis Kr2002: Bergisel Ski Jump by Zaha Hadid2003: Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry2004: Quinta Monroy by Elemental2005: Moriyama House by Ryue Nishizawa2006: Madrid-Barajas airport by RSHP and Estudio Lamela2007:Oslo Opera House by Snhetta2008:Museum of Islamic Art by I M Pei2009:Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton Architects2010:Burj Khalifa by SOM2011: National September 11 Memorial by Handel Architects2012: CCTV Headquarters by OMAThis list will be updated as the series progresses.The post OMA's CCTV Headquarters was the most significant building of 2012 appeared first on Dezeen.

This lookbook spotlights the self-designed studios of eight architects, each defined by earthy tones, wooden furnishings and views of greenery that bring a feeling of tranquillity to their interior.The benefits of bringing natural materials and greenery into our built environment are well-reported, particularly in workspaces where they can help promote focus and well-being.These architect-designed studios illustrate these principles, while also demonstrating how they can be tailored to reflect personal tastes and spatial requirements.While using harmonious earthy palettes and maximising outward views, the featured projects also make room for plenty of natural light and ample desk space, catering to the ideal working environment.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring home interiors with earthy finishes, listening bar interiors and bathrooms with chunky sculptural stone sinks.Photo by James RetriefGardenhide Studio, UK, by Commonbond ArchitectsA sunken floor brings the employees of Commonbond Architects "eye to eye with visiting animals in the garden" surrounding its studio in Abbey Wood in London.The mono-pitched studio is built from hempcrete and timber and lined with warm wood and plaster. Expanses of glass flood the space with natural light, creating a bright workspace that feels immersed in its garden setting.Find out more about Gardenhide Studio Photo by Douglas Sterling PhotographyMourning Dovecote, USA, by Neal SchwartzNeal Schwartz set out to give his studio, Mourning Dovecote, the look and feel of a chapel.Light from a skylight in the angled high-pitch roof filters softly down its plaster-lined walls, which give way to sliding timber desk panels. Adding colour to the space are glimpses of external greenery and a painting by artist Maggie Connors suspended overhead."I wanted a somewhat chapel-like space in which it was not immediately clear where the light was coming from," explained Schwartz.Find out more about Mourning Dovecote Photo by Rory GardinerL'Atelier, France, by A6ABirch desks and plants help visually soften the industrial white-painted structure of this former model-making workshop in Bordeaux, now home to architecture studio A6A.Accessed by a set of double-height glass sliding doors and lit by a skylight above, it was self-designed by the studio to provide employees with a flexible and timeless workspace.Find out more about L'Atelier Photo by Rui CardosoAtelier Ceclio de Sousa, Portugal, by Aires MateusAires Mateus created its own studio in an 18th-century building in Lisbon that is filled with intricate pastel-hued paintings and stucco ceilings.These decorative features are most visible in the heart of the office, the Noble Room (above), where a wooden table and chairs are used as a backdrop while adding a sense of comfort to the ornate space.Find out more about Atelier Ceclio de Sousa Photo by Hemant PatilStudio by the Hill, India, by Mind ManifestationIn Pune, Mind Manifestation converted an apartment to create its 120-square-metre workspace. It features perforated brickwork and green-plaster walls, intended to echo the local landscape and how its colours change throughout the year."The material palette has been tastefully chosen so as to match with the different shades of the hill throughout the year," the studio explained. "Thus nature flows through to the indoors and the space becomes part of nature."Find out more about Studio by the Hill Photo by Hiroyuki OkiUrban Farming Office, Vietnam, by Vo Trong Nghia ArchitectsViews of greenery are granted from all around Urban Farming Office, the self-designed office of Vo Trong Nghia Architects in Ho Chi Minh City, thanks to the "vertical farm" that wraps its exterior.In tandem with dark wood furnishings, views out to the sheath of vegetables, fruits and herbs help visually soften the concrete structure that is left visible throughout.Find out more about Urban Farming Office Photo by Clinton WeaverRed Hill House and Studio, Australia, by Zuzana & NicholasA deliberately utilitarian palette of concrete and metal is used in the studio of designer Zuzana Kovar and architect Nicholas Skepper, which forms part of their house in Brisbane.It is designed as a cool counterpart to the heat of the garden outside, through which it is directly connected by large windows and a full-height sliding glass door."When the studio sliding doors retract, the remaining enclosure is formed by raw concrete and masonry, giving the sense of a cool grotto on the edge of the garden, providing respite from the hot, humid climate," said the studio.Find out more about Red Hill House and Studio Photo by Tom FrederixHempcrete studio, Belgium, by Van Laethem ArchitectenThe hempcrete and timber structure of this garden studio is exposed throughout its interior.It was self-designed by Van Laethem Architecten to accommodate its three employees and demonstrate its commitment to using biomaterials in its work."There is no intention of hiding, disguising or enhancing them," the studio told Dezeen. "Natural materials therefore create a natural atmosphere. There is no need to add anything."Find out more about this hempcrete studio This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring home interiors with earthy finishes, listening bar interiors and bathrooms with chunky sculptural stone sinks.The post Eight self-designed studio interiors that cater for calm working environments appeared first on Dezeen.

London studio Woo Architects has redeveloped its design for the UK Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, which will now pay homage to the innovations of English mathematician Ada Lovelace.The pavilion will be defined by perforated aluminium panels intended to evoke punched cards a type of card punctured with holes and once commonly used for inputting data to computers.It replaces a more pared-back design revealed by Woo Architects and Japanese contractor ES Global early last year, which was lined with digital screens and centred around the principles of circular economy.The UK Pavilion is designed to evoke punched cardsAccording to Woo Architects, the new design aligns with the theme Come Build The Future and celebrates the work of Lovelace, who is known as the world's first computer programmer.Specifically, it references her use of punched cards to instruct the Analytical Engine a prototype steam-powered programmable computer designed by engineer Charles Babbage in the early 1840s."The pavilion's design celebrates Britain at a pivotal moment; our global reputation for innovation and creativity shines through, while the playful facade reflects our innate curiosity and ability to find opportunity in every challenge," the studio's director of culture Emma Owens said."This is a space where a rich historic narrative comes alive, and we hope it inspires conversations about British resilience and industriousness for years to come."Read: Thirteen national pavilions designed for Expo 2025 OsakaAccording to Woo Architects, while celebrating the role of Lovelace in computer programming, the pavilion will also nod to the role of textile industries in the 19th century. The panels will be arranged in an undulating pattern, intended to evoke woven fabric."These strands have been intertwined using a weaving technique, paying homage to the textile industries which were instrumental in the Industrial Revolutions which took place in both Manchester and Osaka during the 19th century," said the studio.As per the original design, the pavilion will be constructed using modular components to enable its structure, floor plates and external cladding to be easily disassembled. Woo Architects hopes this will enable it to be easily relocated after the event.The specific method that will be used is ES Global's Global Modular System, which it developed to meet the "time-critical needs of clients" while being adaptable and reusable.It replaces a more pared-back design revealed in 2024The upcoming World Expo is set to take place on the artificial island Yumeshima in Osaka Bay from 13 April to 13 October 2025. It has been masterplanned by Sou Fujimoto Architects in line with the theme titled Designing Future Society for Our Lives, set by organisers Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).Sou Fujimoto Architects recently released construction photos of The Grand Ring, a vast wooden structure designed to encircle the pavilions at the event.Other national pavilions revealed so far include a cluster of angular volumes for Saudi Arabia that Foster and Partners is modelling on the kingdom's traditional villages and a "canyon" designed by Trahan Architects for the USA.Today, the mascot for the UK Pavilion was also unveiled. Named PIX, it is made from red, blue and white building blocks and can be transformed into various shapes.The post Woo Architects updates design for UK Pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

This week on Dezeen, we reported that homes designed by Richard Neutra and Ray Kappe were among more than 12,000 structures lost in the Los Angeles wildfires.In the wake of the deadly fires, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to allow "residents to rapidly rebuild", while architects and critics called for a development "rethink", to ensure that the rebuilding is done in a way that limits further damage.Ryue Nishizawa's Moriyama House was the most significant building of 2005We continued counting down the most significant architecture of the 21st century in our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series.Among this week's highlights were Ryue Nishizawa's Moriyama House (above), Snhetta's Oslo Opera House andElemental's Quinta Monroyhousing.Demolition of the first Stirling Prize winner was approved this weekIn the UK, the demolition of the inauguralRIBA Stirling Prize-winner was approved by Salford City Council.The University of Salford's Centenary Building, which was completed in 1995 by Hodder+Partners and won the Stirling Prize in 1996, will now be razed despite an objection from the Twentieth Century Society.We looked at the cute robots unveiled at CESContinuing our coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, we rounded up all of the cute robots that took over this year's event.Other news from the event included the launch of an AI-powered self-watering smart planter and Honda's latest electric prototypes.Walmart carried out a low-key rebrandAlso in the US, Walmart unveiled its latest rebrand, which included a logo that was largely unchanged from its 2008 version.Designed for the brand's "next chapter", the new branding is slightly bolder and brighter with the logo's elements moving closer together.A house in a forest in Chile was this week's most popular projectPopular projects on Dezeen this week include a Chilean home surrounded by forest, the conversion of a group of 15th-century farm buildings into housing and a restaurant topped with a "clod of earth lifted from the ground".Our latest lookbooks focused on calming home interiors with earthy finishes and listening bars that are easy on the eyes and ears.This week on DezeenThis week on Dezeenis our regular roundup of the week's top news stories.Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don't miss anything.The post This week we reported on the Los Angeles fire losses appeared first on Dezeen.

A "ribbon" of curved concrete crowns Forest Road, a brick apartment block in London that local practice Gort Scott designed to reference the area's connections to the 20th-century Arts and Crafts movement.Designed for Pocket Living a developer specialising in small homes for first-time buyers the block in Walthamstow provides 90 one-bedroom apartments overlooking Lloyd Park, the site of the Grade II-listed William Morris Gallery.Its prominent corner plot was formerly occupied by a defunct, fenced-off care home, and Gort Scott saw Forest Road as an opportunity to open up the site to its surroundings and better reflect the area's existing built fabric.Gort Scott has completed the Forest Road apartment block in Walthamstow"There had previously been a poor quality post-war building on the site, which sat uncomfortably with the Victorian terraces that dominate this part of Walthamstow and at an oblique angle to surrounding streets," Gort Scott associate Andrew Tam told Dezeen."We saw an opportunity to create a building whose presence engages more positively with the terraced houses that surround it and its prominent location on arterial Forest Road, while nevertheless offering a different typology, " Tam added.The brick volumes of Forest Road form a V-shape in plan, creating a new frontage on both the adjoining main road and side street while leaving space for a large communal courtyard behind.Forest Road has a V-shape plan with a courtyard in the rearLooking to foster a sense of what Tam calls a "mutually supportive community", both this courtyard and the apartments are accessed off a generous entrance lobby.This lobby connects both wings of the V-shape plan with a skylit, open-sided stairwell.The top of the building features concave window lintels"The building is in a prominent location so we felt it important for it to have a civic presence," Tam said."The site's angled geometry and three-sidedness was a challenge that we turned into an opportunity without it we wouldn't have the dramatic lightwell and stair that provides the building's central moment," he added.Read: White Arkitekter draws on Scandinavian principles for east London estate regenerationWhile predominantly finished in buff brick, Forest Road has been enlivened with a series of details that nod to the area's Arts and Crafts history.On the window lintels and top of the building, sections of concave pigmented concrete reference the curved bay windows of the William Morris Gallery, while deep red tiles line the entrance lobby.Deep red tiles line the entrance lobbyIn collaboration with cultural programmers Hive Curates, two murals by local artist Adriana Jaros were added to each side of the building."The murals aren't as shouty and obvious as other street art in the area and look like they've always belonged to the building with plaques explaining the creative and inclusive process behind them," said Tam."We used pigmented concrete decorative details at the crown of the building to complement the brick. Placed together, they create a ribbon that wraps around the top of the building, and give it a lightness when viewed from the street," he added.Murals were added to each side of the buildingForest Road is the second scheme completed by Gort Scott for Pocket Living in Walthamstow, following the Gainsford Road scheme that opened in 2018.Other projects by the studio include the redevelopment of a college at the University of Oxford, which reunites it with a nearby river, and a concrete house that hugs a rocky crag in Whistler.The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.The post Gort Scott draws on Arts and Crafts details for Walthamstow housing block appeared first on Dezeen.

Japanese architect Hiroshi Hara, who designed Osaka's Umeda Sky Buiding and the Kyoto Station building, has passed away aged 88.Hara died on 3 January. He was a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, where he taught renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Pritzker Prize-winning Riken Yamamoto.Top: Hiroshi Hara designed several notable buildings in Japan, including the Yamato International Building. Photo by Yosei Shoshi via Wikimedia Commons. Above: Hara also designed the Umeda Sky Building. Photo by Dmitry Romanoff via UnsplashThe Kawasaki-born architect designed a number of large-scale projects in Japan, including the 173-metre-tall Umeda Sky Building in Osaka.Completed in 1993, the skyscraper contains two towers that are connected on the upper levels by a two-storey observatory, which is punctured with a giant hole.Architect Hiroshi Hara, who designed Kyoto Station Building and Umeda Sky Building, died at 88 on Friday, leaving a remarkable legacy with his distinctive building designs.https://t.co/B8B6sOWxAB The Japan News (@The_Japan_News) January 5, 2025Hara passed away aged 88 on 3 JanuaryThe Times named the Umeda Sky Building one of the top 20 buildings in the world in 2008 for its distinctive shape and views over the surrounding city, alongside architectural greats such as the Colosseum in Rome, the Parthenon in Greece and the Sydney Opera House.In 1997, Hara completed the 15-storey Kyoto Station building, which became Japan's second-largest station.The glass-and-steel building contains a hotel, a shopping mall, a cinema and platforms for multiple rail lines, including Shinkansen services to Tokyo.Read: Japan's biennale pavilion celebrates radical 1970s architectureHara's other notable projects in his native country include the Sapporo Dome stadium in Hokkaido, the Tasaki Museum of Art in Nagano Prefecture and the Yamato International Building in Tokyo.In 2004, he completed his first Casa Experimental home in Uruguay, which he would go on to design iterations of in Argentina and Bolivia in 2005 and 2010, respectively.Hara completed the Kyoto Station building in 1997Hara gained three degrees from the University of Tokyo a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1959, a master's in 1961, and a PhD in 1964.He went on to become an associate professor at the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Architecture in 1964 before moving to the university's Institute of Industrial Science, where he became a professor in 1982.The post Japanese architect Hiroshi Hara dies aged 88 appeared first on Dezeen.

In this week's comments update, readers are discussing the news that Salford City Council has approved the demolition of the University of Salford's Centenary Building, which won the first-ever RIBA Stirling Prize.The university building is set to be razed as part of a major redevelopment project, despite efforts by campaigners and conservationist group Twentieth Century Society to get the building listed.Winner of first-ever Stirling Prize to be demolished"If it was so great then why wasn't it listed sooner?"Several commenters were quick to question the verdict to demolish the building."Embodied energy down the drain," wrote JZ, while Jack Woodburn called it "our 'throw-away' culture exemplified".Also challenging the decision was Weetbix, saying "I don't care much about the heritage value in this context, what baffles me is that a building in this day and age can still be demolished after just 30 years".Henry wasn't a fan of the design but couldn't see the justification for demolition. "It looks like a 90s Porsche showroom," he wrote, but argued, "nevertheless, it seems shortsighted and irresponsible to demolish it".However, on the other side of the coin, Heywood Floyd questioned the efforts to save the Centenary Building. "This rush to list buildings that are threatened with demolition is comical" they suggested before asking "if it was so great then why wasn't it listed sooner?"Have you had your say? Join the discussion Walmart unveils largely unchanged logo for retailer's "next chapter""So brave of them"Dezeen readers also reacted to Walmart's updated brand identity and logo, with the wordmark, 'spark' motif and palette kept largely similar."Yah to the punchy colours!" exclaimed Henry. "May this spell the end of pastels and chalkiness, for now".For Dik Coates, the revised logo was "a little more impressive" than the previous edition.Other commenters couldn't pass up on the opportunity for irony. "I don't know if the customer is going to be able to handle this change," quipped Dan M. Commenter JZ also chimed in to say "so brave of them"."Walmart, you have outdone yourself!" added Devin du Plessis. "So glad the refresh didn't pass me by".What's your take on the Walmart rebrand? Join the discussion Gonzalo Bardach tops Argentinian forest retreat with garden roof"Very posh Center Parks chalet"Readers struggled to make their minds up about a woodland house near Buenos Aires made of concrete with a sloping garden roof."Relatively simple and unoriginal but I'd love to live in it," decided Duckusucker.For Chauncey Mabe, it was "too big, but otherwise excellent". They went on to say "I love the way it disappears into the landscape while allowing access to the outside and vice-versa".Meanwhile, Jim Biggin likened the dwelling to a "very posh Center Parcs chalet".Are you a fan of the woodland retreat? Join the discussion Comments UpdateDezeen is the world's most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page and subscribe to our weekly Debate newsletter, where we feature the best reader comments from stories in the last seven days.The post "Our 'throw-away' culture exemplified" says commenter appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom:designer Tim Rundle has expanded on his Rakino chair for Morgan, adding a pedestal dining table and timber-back dining chair to the collection.Both of the new additions build on the language of the original Rakino chair, distinguishable for the way it marries an angular frame with soft and flowing joints.The new additions continue the design language of the original Rakino chairsThe dining table has a single or twin pedestal base made from solid timber that introduces a sculptural presence into the collection. The single pedestal version is available with timber, marble or terrazzo tops, and the double in timber only.The timber-backed dining chair reduces the full-height backrest to a lighter band at the top of the armrests, with a tapered profile that complements the chair's subtle curves.The timber-back dining chair has a lighter frame"Morgan's manufacturing processes and techniques were the starting point for me," said Rundle. "Their skill and knowledge in timber frame construction presented an opportunity to push things creatively.""The timber back model felt like a natural evolution of Rakinos design language and frame in a way it is the purest version in the collection."Product details:Product: RakinoDesigner: Tim RundleBrand: MorganContact: marketing@morganfurniture.co.ukMaterial: wood, optional marble or terrazzoColours/finishes: beech, oak, ash or walnut woodDezeen ShowroomDezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.The post Rakino dining furniture by Tim Rundle for Morgan appeared first on Dezeen.

American studio ASAP has integrated a century-old brick facade into a residential and retail building called Allen Apartments in Buffalo, USA.Located in Buffalo's Allentown neighbourhood, the building occupies an urban site near a light rail system and medical campus.ASAP has completed Allen Apartments in upstate New YorkIt also sits within a historic district known for its eclectic mix of 19th- and 20th-century architecture, including a concert hall by Eero and Eliel Saarinen and a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The project involved partly preserving a dilapidated, two-storey retail building that was mostly beyond repair.The original brick-and-stone front facade was preservedASAP, or Adam Sokol Architecture Practice which relocated from Buffalo to Los Angeles in 2018 conceived a scheme that preserved the original brick and stone facade, yet allowed for a 3.5-storey structure to rise behind it.According to the studio, the design represents a "distinctive mixture of historic and contemporary construction"."The massing respects the historic structure by gradually increasing in size as it recedes from the street," said the studio.Each side of the building has a different lookRoughly rectangular in plan, the building looks different on each side.The original front facade was preserved yet mostly rebuilt with new brick that matched the old structure. The east wall, which faces a vacant plot, was made of concrete masonry, as is the rear wall.Read: Studio Other Spaces encloses Buffalo museum courtyard in "canopy of glass and mirrors"The western elevation is staggered and overlooks a communal courtyard. Walls are clad in dark grey steel panels.The building contains a retail space and two ADA-compliant apartments on the ground floor, with additional apartments on the upper levels.The building's western elevation is staggered and overlooks a courtyard. Photo by Alexandro SeverinIn total the build contains 10 homes, with a combination of one- and two-bedroom units along with two loft-style duplexes. Units are accessed via an orange-painted stairwell.The units have large windows and high ceilings to create a feeling of spaciousness. Interior finishes include light-toned wooden flooring and white cabinetry.The team incorporated "a variety of outdoor spaces of differing scales, giving each unit a unique experience".Dark grey steel panels were used for the exteriorThe building is among the first all-electric buildings in Buffalo. Eco-friendly elements include high-efficiency heat pumps and solar-generated hot water.The project received historic tax credits, following approval of the design by the state preservation office and federal park service.The apartments feature large windows, wooden flooring and white cabinetryOther projects in Buffalo include the adaptive reuse of an insane asylum into a boutique hotel by Deborah Berke Partners, and a sculptural, glass-enclosed addition to the AKG Art Museum by OMA's New York office.The photography is by Brett Beyer unless stated otherwise.The post ASAP incorporates historic facade into mixed-use building in Buffalo appeared first on Dezeen.

Construction has begun on the 70-storey Okan Tower skyscraper in Miamiby architecture studio Behar Font & Partners, which will contain a hotel, apartments and offices.Located in Downtown Miami, Okan Tower will be 902-feet high (274 metres) when completed, the latest in a group of skyscrapers currently under construction in the city.Construction has begun on Okan TowerRenders of the project show a narrow building with an arched cap. White structural supports outline the building on either side, while a variety of terraces cover the facades.According to Flordia-based architecture studio Behar Font & Partners, the tower's design was informed by the silhouette of a Tulip, the national flower of Turkey and home base of Okan Group.Read: Over 30 skyscrapers sinking into ground on Miami barrier islands"The 70-story ultra-modern skyscraper is an architectural gem and among the tallest buildings south of New York," said developer Okan Group."It is recognized for its fluted sculptured accents and crown."The building will contain a hotel, residences and officesThe tower will contain a 316-room Hilton hotel, 64,000 square feet (5,945 square metres) of office space, and 163 residences on its top floors.Amenities will include "one the world's tallest rooftop pools", located within the building's curved top, a wine lounge and a spa area.Interior renders show a palette dominated by white, with light oak cabinetry and stone countertops and floors.A palette of white walls, light wood furnishings and stone floors is pictured in interior renderings"Okan Tower is the dramatic centrepiece of the Downtown Miami skyline," said the team."From here, the entire city seems to revolve around you. For those fortunate enough to call this place home, it actually does."As of now, construction has reached the 12th floor of the 70-storey project, while its 290,000-square-foot parking podium is completed.The project is slated for 2027 completion.Elsewhere in Miami, Aston Martin and Argentinian architecture studio Bodas Mian Anger completed a skyscraper, while Kengo Kuma and Associates unveiled designs for its first residential tower in the US.The images are courtesy of Okan GroupThe post "Ultra-modern" skyscraper by Behar Font & Partners under construction in Miami appeared first on Dezeen.

Our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings pick for 2011 is the National 9/11 Memorial, designed by Michael Arad of Handel Architects a powerful symbol of loss, remembrance and healing.The most significant building of 2011 was not actually a building in fact, it was almost the opposite. Few events loom so large in the 21st century as the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center towers in September 2001.Completed 10 years later, the National 9/11 Memorial takes the form of two granite-lined reflecting pools that trace the former footprints of the Minoru Yamasaki-designed skyscrapers.It represents an architecture of absence, a sort of wound in the urban fabric that pointed to the horror of that day and its legacy.Taking cues from other abstract modern monuments, it signalled a sense of closure in the aftermath of the attacks, a new era for New York City and the complexities of rebuilding in such a dense environment.The National 9/11 Memorial was designed by Michael Arad of Handel Architects. Photo courtesy of the 9/11 Museum & Memorial, Jin Sup LeeAfter local officials decided that there should be no buildings on the site, in 2004 a call was put out for designs for a memorial, in line with the masterplan by American architect Daniel Libeskind.The competition, which attracted almost 5,200 entrants, was won by a relatively unknown Israeli-American architect named Michael Arad.His design, called Reflecting Absence, took a minimalist, non-representational approach to memorialising the tragedy, calling to mind both Maya Lin's Vietnam War Memorial and Peter Eisenman's Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.The memorial is part of the wider Ground Zero redevelopment site. Photo courtesy of Handel ArchitectsInsistent on sparing no expense for the memorial and the redevelopment around it, the local and state governments set up the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) to oversee the distribution of funds and construction.Soon, the complexities of the infrastructure downtown, the need to appeal to the public and the families of victims and the multiple different agencies, politicians and other architects involved with the project created difficulties for the memorial. This was compounded by Arad's apparent intransigence on any edits to his design.A New York magazine piece in 2006 reported Arad feuding constantly with his primary collaborators Max Bond Jr of Davis Brody Bond and landscape architect Peter Walker, as well as with government officials and architects Libeskind and Santiago Calatrava.Its mysterious disappearance captures and holds your attention in a way most unusual for the static medium of conventional architectureMartin Filler for Slate"Design, it seemed, couldn't create unity; it led only to intractable differences of taste," wrote Ted Loos, emphasising the complexity of such a public project.Many of the planned skyscrapers at the Ground Zero site also seemed to be stalling at the time due to power struggles between developers and the government.However, Arad was embedded into local studio Handel Architects, where he still works today, and progress on the memorial went forward, in part due to championing by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg.It rests in a park designed with landscape architect Peter Walker. Photo courtesy of Handel ArchitectsToday two massive granite-and-steel lined reflecting pools sit on a site surrounded by groves of swamp oak trees. All around the two pools, waterfalls constantly flow, with the water running over serrated weirs, flowing eventually into another void in the bottom.Around the perimeter of the pools are bronze parapets with names of victims engraved clear through, backlit and temperature-controlled so the metal is never too hot or cold to touch.Surrounding the pools, the whole of the public plaza was lifted above street level on a concrete and steel podium topped by granite pavers.Read: 9/11 anniversary: how the World Trade Center site was rebuiltOn one side of the grove is a sculptural, Snhetta-designed pavilion that provides entry to the subterranean 9/11 museum designed by Davis Brody Bond and Aedas.Despite the confusion and lack of coordination among the stakeholders, the memorial was widely considered a success by critics.Martin Filler was astounded at "how this stunning result emerged from such a fraught and contentious process"."The propulsive aural and visual excitement of the three-story-deep waterfall and its mysterious disappearance captures and holds your attention in a way most unusual for the static medium of conventional architecture," he wrote.The surrounding parapet is engraved with the names of the victims. Photo courtesy of the 9/11 Museum & Memorial, Jin Sup LeeMore than 10 years on, it seems that the complex public-private reviews for the memorial led to its strength as a piece of the built environment.Reflecting on the legacy of 9/11 in 2021, Libeskind told Dezeen he thought the destruction in New York had made people pay more attention to architecture, placing more emphasis on citizen input for larger projects.It might be seen as fitting, then, that the 9/11 memorial seems to exemplify this public input and complexity.Arad's design functioned beyond the scope of normal client-architect relationships it was constructed not just for the local stakeholders, but for the whole city, and the nation. It is architecture as wound, reminder and healing.You wouldn't mistake it for an ordinary park or urban piazza, but it isn't a cemetery, eitherPaul Goldberger for the New YorkerWriting for the New Yorker upon its opening, critic Paul Goldberger said that the memorial had managed to somehow turn the void of the tallest buildings in the city into something "monumental"."You wouldn't mistake it for an ordinary park or urban piazza, but it isn't a cemetery, either," considered Goldberger."You feel a sense of dignity and repose, and you see the shapes of the renewed city in the rising skyscrapers, as you should."In the 10 years since the memorial's completion, most of the remaining developments around the structure have gone in, and as Goldberger notes, life in Lower Manhattan has gone on.The memorial represents a sense of architectural perseverance despite complex stakeholder input, but it also embodies a massive historical shift.The state of the world has been indelibly affected by 9/11, with wars ongoing, surveillance ever-increasing and trust eroding, and these two voids serve as markers of that shift of who, and what, we've lost.Did we get it right? Was the The National 9/11 Memorial the most significant building completed in 2011? Let us know in the comments. We will be running a poll once all 25 buildings are revealed to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildingsseries, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influentialbuilding from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is byJack Bedfordand the photography is byNick Merrickunless stated otherwise.21st Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000:Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001:Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis Kr2002:Bergisel Ski Jump by Zaha Hadid2003:Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry2004:Quinta Monroy by Elemental2005:Moriyama House by Ryue Nishizawa2006:Madrid-Barajas airport by RSHP and Estudio Lamela2007:Oslo Opera House by Snhetta2008:Museum of Islamic Art by I M Pei2009:Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton Architects2010:Burj Khalifa by SOM2011: National 9/11 Memorial by Michael AradThis list will be updated as the series progresses.The post The National 9/11 Memorial was the most significant building of 2011 appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: designer Sren Rose took cues from sand dunes to create a curvaceous outdoor furniture collection, which includes an embracing swing seat, for Spanish brand Gandia Blasco.Made from powder-coated aluminium, the Arena outdoor furniture collection was designed by Rose to offer sophistication and durability, and to establish a dialogue between the built environment and nature.The Arena outdoor furniture collection features rounded forms made by curved aluminium slatsThe expansive collection features a lounge chair, armchair, two-seater sofa, coffee tables, side table and even a swing chair all united by a distinctive design featuring wide slats that curve at the bottom to create bulbous forms."The swing stands out as the most notable piece in the collection, driven by a desire to amplify the collection's essential character with a space where individuals can genuinely unwind and feel embraced," said Rose. "Its substantial volume, inviting users to sink into its plush cushions and unwind, embodies a warm welcome."The collection includes a swing seat and coffee tablesThe Arena furniture was made by laser cutting aluminium sheet material to form the slats, which were then bent on two different machines to the desired curve pattern before being welded to the two rings forming the upper and lower part of each frame.The collection is available in all the finishes and colours in the Gandia Blasco catalogue, including outdoor technical fabrics from Kvadrat, Sunbrella and Dedar Milano as well as Reviva's 100 per cent recycled PET.Product details:Product: ArenaDesigner: Sren RoseBrand: Gandia BlascoContact: prensa@gandiablascogroup.comMaterial: powder-coated aluminiumColours/finishes: RAL coloursDezeen ShowroomDezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.The post Arena outdoor furniture by Sren Rose for Gandia Blasco appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture studio Snhetta has designed three homes for residents with substance-abuse problems and psychiatric diagnoses in Karmy, Norway.Comprising a trio of "robust" residential units, the Karmy Pilot Homes by Snhetta draw on the results of a research project exploring how different approaches, including shapes, materials and colours, can improve the quality of living for residents.Snhetta has created homes for patients with substance-abuse problems and psychiatric diagnoses"Based on the behaviour and needs of three actual residents, the homes on Karmy have been developed with three different profiles," Snhetta studio co-founder Kjetil Trdal Thorsen said."We hope that we have created homes that users want to take care of so that they have a longer lifespan than such homes generally have today," senior interior architect Elin Vatn added.Wood, concrete and brick are used for the homesWhile largely similar in layout and volume, the prototype homes were each built with different materials. Solid wood was used for one standalone unit, and brick and concrete for the other two, which sit semi-detached on the site.According to the studio, the variations in materiality mean their impacts on the residents can be measuredfor research purposes.Exposed materials line the interior spaces"The three main materials, solid wood, concrete and brick, have scored well on physical tests where their resistance to, for example, impact, fire and tagging have been examined," Trdal Thorsen said."They also have a slightly rough surface, and can withstand wear and tear without appearing particularly worn," he added. "Special solutions have also been developed for housing technology, shielding, ventilation, heating and fire safety."Read: Tiny House is an affordable and "aspirational" housing prototype in IndiaExternally, each of the homes have been punctuated with rectilinear openings and topped with diagonal saddle roofs that create "good and interesting dynamics" in the interiors, the studio said.Inside, largely exposed walls and surfaces are coupled with fixed furniture chosen to safeguard the environment.Other patient-specific strategies include the use of a separate entrance to the living and bedroom spaces, allowing employees to wash and clean the home independently of the resident.Saddle roofs top the structuresInitiated in 2020, the Karmy pilot housing research project aims to adapt the physical housing elements holistically in collaboration with residents, municipal employees, and user and next of kin organisations.Snhetta hopes that the research can offer viable solutions for future developments."The goal is that the research will be scaled up to other municipalities, and in the future can provide good and lasting solutions for more people," Vatn said.Fixed furniture is used throughout the unitsThe project is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the municipalities of Karmy and Stavanger. The Norwegian Research Centre carried out the project in collaboration with the University of Stavanger, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, the Norwegian State Housing Bank, A-larm and Snhetta.Elsewhere, construction work has begun on the studio's Theodor Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota and its Far Rockaway Library in New York wrapped in fritted ombre glass has reached completion.Snhetta's Oslo Opera House was also recently named as the most significant building of 2007 in Dezeen's latest series, which lists the 25 most significant buildings of the 21st century so far.The photography is by Haakon Nordvik.The post Snhetta completes trio of prototype homes for substance-abuse patients appeared first on Dezeen.

Are you exhibiting or holding an event at Milan design week? Get your event listed in Dezeen's digital guide to the festival, which will feature the week's key events.Taking place from 7 to 13 April, Milan design week is the world's largest celebration of design.If you're hosting a fringe event, collectively known during the festival as Fuorisalone, or taking part in Salone del Mobile, get in touch with the Dezeen Events Guide team to be featured in the guide.The guide will feature exhibitions, talks, fairs, open showrooms and product launches by global brands, taking place across the city's participating districts, such as Brera Design District, Isola Design District, Tortona Design Week and 5Vie Design Week.The 2025 festival also marks the 63rd edition of design fair Salone del Mobile, which will run from 8 to 13 April at Fiera Milano, which will be presenting the biennial Euroluce lighting exhibition.This year's guide will also feature an interactive map, highlighting the events featured in the guide and helping you navigate the city during the design week.How to get listed in Dezeen's digital guide to Milan design weekGet in touch with the Dezeen Events Guide team at eventsguide@dezeen.com to book your listing or to discuss a wider partnership with Dezeen. There are three pricing tiers:Standard listings cost 125 and include the event name, date and location details plus a website link. These listings will also feature up to 50 words of text about the event. Standard listings are included at the discretion of the Dezeen Events Guide team.Enhanced listings cost 175 and include all of the above plus an image at the top of the listing's page and a preview image on the Dezeen Events Guide homepage. These listings will also feature up to 100 words of text about the event.Featured listings cost 350 and would include everything as part of an enhanced listing plus a post on @dezeen Threads channel, inclusion in the featured events carousel on the right hand of the homepage for up to two weeks and 150 words of text about the event. This text can include commercial information such as ticket prices and offers and can feature additional links to website pages such as ticket sales, newsletter signups etc.About Dezeen Events GuideDezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.For more details on inclusion in the Dezeen Events Guide, including in our guide to Milan design week, please email eventsguide@dezeen.com.The illustration is by Justyna Green.The post Get listed in Dezeen's digital guide to Milan design week 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

Promotion: design studio Mickus Projects has created a 3D-printed honeycomb-shaped bioplastic chandelier, informed by the work of Danish midcentury designer Poul Henningsen.The translucent Hedron Pendant features a bulbous but subtly striated lampshade finished in an intricate hexagonal pattern, which wraps a stem with a delicate but illuminating LED light source.Mickus Projects 3D-printed the chandelier from 100 per cent corn- and sugar-derived polylactic acid a lightweight and readily available bioplastic that does not contain any fossil fuel- or petroleum-based materials.The Hedron Pendant was designed by Mickus ProjectsWhen crafting the lampshade, the studio took cues from the work of Henningsen. The late designer is remembered for his series of glare-free shaded lamps, created to emit warm and soft light.Ben Mickus, founder of Mickus Projects, and an architect by training, previously lived in Copenhagen, studying and drawing inspiration from Danish modern design.When designing the Hedron Pendant, Mickus Projects sought to apply Henningsen's trademark analysis of reflection patterns and combine this process with a renewable material and a parametric design process."The result is a lampshade made up of an array of tapered cell walls, precisely angled to bounce light twice from the internal LED source to the softly diffused light exiting the fixture," explained Mickus.A bioplastic lampshade emits soft light"Also, the 3D-printing approach to fabrication does not involve any cutting or glueing, and does not produce any waste," he added. "The lampshade uses the least amount of material to create a rigid yet intriguing form."As well as Henningsen, Mickus Projects drew inspiration from forms found in nature in particular, the shape of honeycomb, turtle shells and multifaceted insect eyes.The chandelier's stem is made from standard lamp components with a custom CNC-cut bracket, which supports the shade without the need for additional fasteners or moving parts.Inspirations include the shape of honeycomb, turtle shells and multifaceted insect eyesAn additional white ceramic coating is offered as an optional extra to enhance the intensity of shadows created by the otherwise translucent lampshade.The Hedron Pendant was designed for both indoor and outdoor installation and is suitable for a range of residential, commercial or hospitality settings.Mickus Projects explained that the lighting comes in a series of sizes at different price points to create as wide a selection of lighting as possible."This ranges from an intimately scaled night light to a lobby-scaled chandelier," said Mickus. "Biophilia meets paranormal in this carefully crafted pendant."For more information, visit the brand's websitehere.Partnership contentThis article was written by Dezeen for Mickus Projects as part of a partnership.Find out more about Dezeen partnership contenthere.The post Mickus Projects unveils bioplastic Hedron Pendant chandelier appeared first on Dezeen.

Technology brand Leafypod has unveiled an AI-powered smart planter at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES).Made from durable plastic materials, the LeafyPod aims to address what the brand identifies as the four main causes of plant death: soil moisture, light, temperature, and humidity."The materials were chosen specifically for their resistance to water exposure and ability to maintain structural integrity over time", Cleo Song, co-founder of LeafyPod, told Dezeen.LeafyPod was revealed at this year's CESThe device has sensors that detect light, humidity, and temperature and relay the data to the LeafyPod app."Our AI-powered watering system automatically adapts to each plant's specific needs by monitoring environmental conditions and adjusting the watering schedule accordingly, ensuring optimal care regardless of the plant variety", Song said.The LeafyPod app works alongside the plant, learning its routine over time and automatically adjusting the watering schedule for optimised care."The planter's clean, minimalistic design in classic white conceals its sophisticated technology including multiple environmental sensors and watering systems", Song continued.LeafyPod is accompanied by an appUsers can recharge the device, while a built-in water reservoir ensures the plants stay hydrated, even during extended trips."The app sends timely notifications for all maintenance needs, from water refills to filter cleaning or replacement", Song said."The cordless design with USB charging capability further simplifies the user experience".Read: Hormometer provides instant at-home hormone level readingsThe gadget can be voice-controlled by integrating it with smart devices like Alexa and Google Assistant.The device features a dual-filter system, with a reusable filter on the pump that can be cleaned and a replaceable filter at the bottom of the transparent inner pot.LeafyPod's sensors can track light, humidity, and temperatureThe LeafyPod also has an adaptive watering system that adjusts based on plant type and real-time environmental data."We designed the water tank to require refilling only once every two weeks to a month, optimizing water usage while maintaining plant health", Song said."The system's AI-driven approach helps prevent both overwatering and under-watering by continuously monitoring soil conditions and adjusting water delivery accordingly."Other devices showcased at this year's CES fair include the Hormometer hormone testing kit and a solar-powered car.The post LeafyPod unveils AI-powered self-watering smart planter at CES appeared first on Dezeen.

The deadly wildfires are prompting architects and critics to call for changes to how development is carried out in Los Angeles.Frustrated with irresponsible development practices in the face of fire threats, dozens of architects and critics have speculated on ways that architecture and urban planning can be utilised to rebuild in a way that limits future damage."The cataclysmic events of recent days should trigger a rethink"As the wildfires continue to burn in multiple areas of Greater Los Angeles, displacing people and destroying thousands of buildings, there are questions as to whether the typical cycles of return and rebuild should happen as they have in the past.Massive fires have happened in the area as recently as 2018 when the Woolsey Fire tore through parts of Malibu."Rather than simply rebuild, as these fire-ravaged areas have done time and again, the cataclysmic events of recent days should trigger a rethink as to how the city could grow back," wrote critic Oliver Wainwright in the Guardian.Building in steep areas that border chaparral natural zones with small trees and shrubs that rely on fire for rejuvenation creates ideal fire conditions exacerbated by climate change and severe drought.Some have suggested that the building culture in general needs to change. Speaking to New York Magazine, professor of environment history Char Miller questioned if the county and city should allow the same sort of rebuilding at all."Where we build produces the conditions for where fires erupt," said Miller "There's nothing that could have stopped this fire.""We consume our environment"Others agree, and many in Los Angeles accept the risks of fire as a part of life there, while conscious that the building practices have not integrated properly with the environment, which naturally burns."Los Angeles is a city of pleasure and peril, we've always known this," Zeina Koreitem, founding partner of local architecture studio Millins, told Dezeen. "We consume our environment instead of living with it."Read: Richard Neutra house among iconic homes lost during LA firesOthers, such as local councilwoman Traci Park noted the "chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure". This led to bottlenecks in places where people were trying to flee, exacerbated by poorly connected neighbourhoods often designed to emphasise privacy or safety from crime.These infrastructural bottlenecks were exacerbated by problems with water resources in the area.LA has some of the "toughest" wildfire regulationsDespite the shortcomings, Los Angeles does have some of the "toughest" wildfire regulations for buildings in the county, according to NPR.These include parking regulations on high-risk days, fines for not clearing flammable foliage away from structures and the banning of certain materials such as wooden roofs for new builds. NPR also noted that many of these building regulations don't apply to older homes.Architects and critics have begun suggesting ways in which rebuilding can happen, as, given the housing crisis in California and the thousands displaced from their homes, it seems unlikely that the land would be converted into green space."We were already working closely with AIA and the City of Los Angeles to figure out better procedures for permitting to assist with the immediate and constantly growing need for housing in our city," Harper Halprin and Aaron Leshtz of LA-based AAHA Studio told Dezeen."Overnight, that need has skyrocketed," he continued. "Now we are not only talking about affordable housing and building up rental options for multi-family development but are also going to need to accommodate the influx of thousands of single-family residences that have been lost.""Stop building on the land"The severity of the fires and the likelihood that they will repeat should make local legislators and communities hesitant to build in the same places, according to Miller."I would suggest that the county, city, and state consider the possibility of creating a policy that would buy land from willing sellers so that they can get some assets out then stop building on the land," said Miller."If you think the policy of green-lighting development is a bad idea because of this fire, then flip the policy."Read: Los Angeles mayor issues executive order for "residents to rapidly rebuild"Architectural solutions to these problems such as material changes, creating "defensible spaces" and increasing fireproofing have been increasing in usage and requirement. Some believe that locals need to rethink how development goes forward altogether, focusing more on acknowledging fire-prone areas and building densely.In an opinion written last year in Dezeen, architect Greg Kochanowsk suggested rethinking urban development as opposed to simply retreating from nature or changing building tactics."Architecture cannot solve this problem," he wrote. "In fact, all the individual design professions are incapable of addressing the magnitude of the sheer complexity of the climate crisis alone.""There are no substitutes for a broader conceptualization of innovative planning, typologies, and disciplinary strategies".This would go beyond single buildings, instead thinking about soft infrastructures that work with the possibility of the need for resilience and recovery, while also increasing density to shelter inhabitation.Utilizing Traditional Ecological KnowledgeMany have put forward calls for redevelopment in line with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or land management tactics derived from the pre-colonial system.Local studio Metabolic has created a petition calling for "restoration practices that align with natural systems, ensuring sustainable land and water governance for future generations".Among the petition's demands are calls for the training of locals in ecosystem restoration, the retention of rainwater, and creating a government liaison to to integrate "TEK, scientific research, and community input" into policy.Others have added to this, specifying building techniques and ecological interventions that could be implemented immediately."Mixing ancient wisdom with contemporary technology, we are leaning on the climate cycles in Topanga, and taking advantage of the house's thermal massing to imagine a different routine that does not rely on HVAC or static spaces," said Koreitem, referencing a recent project in the area."We are interested in a built-in seasonality and nomadism. Most invasive and non-native landscapes that have been introduced to LA are part of the problem. And we can start with the iconic LA palm tree."The photography is by Kelvin Cheng.The post Architects and critics call for development "rethink" following deadly LA fires appeared first on Dezeen.

The UK has revealed its mascot for the Expo 2025 Osaka, which is named PIX and can be transformed into various shapes.Named PIX, in reference to pixels, the mascot was presented in different shapes including a aeroplane, film camera, sheep, submarine and even the Loch Ness monster.PIX will be the mascot for the UK at Expo 2025 OsakaDescribed by the UK team as "dynamic, fun and knowledgeable", the mascot is made from red, blue and white building blocks.It was designed to evoke both ideas of childhood imagination, building blocks and innovation.The mascot will take various forms"Born from a child's imagination and their toy building blocks, PIX symbolises the building blocks of innovation," said UK commissioner general for Expo 2025 Carolyn Davidson."Our dynamic, fun and knowledgeable mascot takes shape in endless combinations...from teapots to rockets...representing how ideas come together to build something great.""PIX encourages us all to see the potential of our own ideas, no matter how small, to transform the world when we come together to build the future."It was made from coloured building blocksSet to take place in Yumeshima Island, Osaka, from 13 April to 13 October 2025, the UK will be represented at the World Expo with a pavilion designed by Woo Architects."PIX is set to feature throughout the UK Pavilion experience, charming visitors with a treasure trove of fun facts about the UK and Japan, and channeling the spirit of exploration, humour and innovation the UK is famous for," said the UK pavilion team.Read: Woo Architects updates design for UK Pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025Along with the mascot, the UK Government unveiled an updated design for the pavilion today.The updated pavilion will be covered by perforated aluminium panels as a homage tothe innovations of English mathematician Ada Lovelace.The mascot will be used in the UK pavilionThe Expo has beenmasterplanned bySou Fujimoto Architects, which is creating a vast wooden ring that encircles the national pavilions.Other national pavilions revealed so far includea cluster of angular volumes for Saudi Arabia that Foster and Partners is modelling on the kingdom's traditional villagesanda "canyon" designed by Trahan Architects for the USA.The post UK unveils "shape-shifting" mascot for Osaka Expo 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

Next in our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series we examine SOM's Burj Khalifa the most significant building completed in 2010 and still the world's tallest skyscraper."In 2010, when the Burj rose from the sand dunes of the Arabian desert, it announced the emergence of Dubai as a global powerhouse," wrote Julie Satow in the Wall Street Journal last year.Indeed, it is difficult to think of another building that has done a more effective job of putting its city on the map since Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbaocompleted in 1997.The Burj Khalifa was the most significant building of 2010Dubai's meteoric rise to become a city of undisputed global significance has been one of the most distinctive geographical phenomena of the last 25 years.The Burj Khalifa, then, reasserted the power of skyscrapers and the ability of architecture to placemake.Rising 828 meters above Downtown Dubai, the mixed-use towertransformed the landscape of skyscraper design when it topped out in January 2009, dramatically surpassing Taiwan's 508-metre-tall Taipei 101, which formerly held the title of the world's tallest building.It was designed by Adrian Smith during his time at SOMFifteen years after it officially opened on 4 January 2010, the 160-storey Emirati megatall tower has comfortably maintained its ranking, highlighting the landmark's enduring significance on the global stage. It is roughly three times the height of Paris's Eiffel Tower.Architect Adrian Smith designed the neo-futurist Burj Khalifa, made of reinforced concrete and clad in vertical glass fins, while practicing at Chicago-based office SOM.The skyscraper is supported by a central buttressed core, an architectural invention by the building's lead engineer Bill Baker first applied to Seoul's Palace Tower III.Construction took place over six years. Photo by Bradley YoungSculptural wings fan out from the Burj's Y-shaped tripartite floor plan, built into a solid-rock foundation. The wings taper upwards in 27 setbacks, which create outdoor terraces, gradually decreasing the tower's cross-section and concluding in a record-breaking steel spire.This three-pronged design was chosen to echo the hymenocallis, or spider lily a desert flower found across the region. Smith was also inspired by examples of Islamic architecture; in particular, the 9th-century Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, defined by its ancient minaret encircled by a distinctively bottom-heavy spiralled ramp.The Burj Khalifa's sturdy foundations were, and remain, a feat of engineering. Each of the skyscraper's wings contains its own concrete core and perimeter columns, which buttress the others thanks to a six-sided central core, creating a torsionally stiff tower.The stepped shape helps to confuse the windAdrian Smith in the Wall Street Journal"This innovative structural solution allows the Burj to be remarkably tall and remarkably thin, with one-third less square footage than [Chicago's] steel-framed Willis Tower even though it almost doubles Willis's height," wrote Blair Kamin in the Architectural Record in 2010."This skyscraper looks like a skyscraper, its elegant, exultant verticality providing Dubai's random clumps of high-rises with an unmistakable centre of the tent," he added.The Burj's aerodynamic profile means that the building can sway up to two metres in the wind, reducing the risk of structural damage or collapse.Sculptural wings fan out from the skyscraper's Y-shaped tripartite floor plan. Photo courtesy of SOM"The stepped shape helps to confuse the wind," Smith told the Wall Street Journal in 2011. "The wind doesn't have an opportunity to organise very rapidly because of the steps."It is impossible to consider the significance of the Burj without acknowledging the precarious economic backdrop against which it was achieved.Originally called Burj Dubai, the skyscraper was renamed the Burj Khalifa after the former ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, granted Dubai a $10 billion bail-out loan to complete the project. After a sustained period of rapid architectural expansion around the millennium, the emirate was hit hard by the global financial crisis of the late 2000s.A series of mixed-use spaces make up the interiorWriting in the Financial Times on the day of the building's official opening, Simeon Kerr called the Burj Khalifa "a testament to a boom-time mentality that gripped the city in the first decade of this century but one that has been replaced by a more sombre reality"."It would be shortsighted to conflate the messy circumstances surrounding the Burj Khalifa's completion with the tower's exhilarating and surprisingly refined architecture," agreed Kamin."And such a dismissal would ignore previous supertall sagas," he added, referring to the 1929 Wall Street Crash that threatened the success of New York City's Empire State Building, which prevailed against the odds to become arguably the world's most recognisable skyscraper.The Burj is an almost perfect representation of Dubai's own complexities and contraditionsLandon Thomas Jr in the Architectural Record"To be sure, the world's record-breaking skyscrapers, such as Burj Khalifa, often presage recession," continued Kerr. "But with time these buildings have gone on to form the centrepiece of thriving economic centres."The most significant building of 2010 is not without controversy. In 2006, 2,500 migrant workers, mostly from South Asia, went on strike and rioted to protest against their poor living conditions and lack of pay while constructing the Burj Khalifa.Subsequent investigations brought global attention to working conditions in the United Arab Emirates, while other commentators were quick to express a lack of faith in the skyscraper's sustainability credentials.Read: Waugh Thistleton Architects' Murray Grove was the most significant building of 2009"The Burj is an almost perfect representation of Dubai's own complexities and contradictions," summarised Landon Thomas Jr in the New York Times on the day of the day of the skyscraper's official opening.Since its opening, the landmark has attracted visitors from across the globe, who have ascended to the world's highest observation deck on the building's 148th floor to take in sweeping views of the cityscape.Actor Tom Cruise scaled the building when performing stunts seen in the 2011 Mission: Impossible film Ghost Protocol, while renowned urban climber Alain Robert reached the Burj's spire the same year.The Burj Khalifa has maintained its title of tallest building in the world for 15 yearsThe Burj Khalifa marks the first time that the Arab world has hosted the tallest building on Earth since Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, built over 4,000 years ago, and its height is yet to be beaten.That looks likely to change in the coming years as other places notably Saudi Arabia seek to mimic its success, but many critics agree that the Burj's distinctly thin and stepped design will ensure the skyscraper's enduring reputation."Building booms and busts come and go, as do the temporary wearers of the world's-tallest-building crown. What matters, in the long haul, is the artistry that separates skyscrapers that are merely yardstick-tall from those that make of their tallness a smashing aesthetic virtue," wrote Kamin."And the Burj Khalifa easily meets and exceeds that standard, soaring in both height and design quality above Dubai's often-ludicrous collection of architectural cartoons," he added."I think human nature is always going to go after spectacular achievements," reflected Smith in 2011. "As long as they can, they will."Did we get it right? Was the Burj Khalifa by SOM the most significant building completed in 2010? Let us know in the comments. We will be running a poll once all 25 buildings are revealed to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildingsseries, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influentialbuilding from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is byJack Bedford and the photography is by Nick Merrick unless stated otherwise.21st Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000:Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001:Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis Kr2002:Bergisel Ski Jump by Zaha Hadid2003:Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry2004:Quinta Monroy by Elemental2005:Moriyama House by Ryue Nishizawa2006:Madrid-Barajas airport by RSHP and Estudio Lamela2007:Oslo Opera House by Snhetta2008:Museum of Islamic Art by I M Pei2009:Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton Architects2010: Burj Khalifa by SOMThis list will be updated as the series progresses.The post SOM's Burj Khalifa put Dubai on the map appeared first on Dezeen.

A glazed double-height extension by EBBA Architects and a green terrazzo-lined home byConForm Architects are among London's best new homerenovations, according to this year's 14-strong Don't Move, Improve!shortlist.An extension by architecture studioDHaus illuminated by a wall-to-wall skylight was also featured in the competition's shortlist, alongside a bomb-damaged home that was renovated by British studio Bindloss Dawes.Top image: ConForm Architects' terrazzo-lined extension is in the Don't Move, Improve! shortlist. Photo by James Retief. Above: DHaus was shortlisted for its skylit extension. Photo by James RetiefNow in its 15th edition, the annual Don't Move, Improve! awards programme aims to celebrate the most innovative home improvements in London.Over 150 houses were entered into this year's competition. A peer review panel made up of last year's shortlisted architects made a refined list, from which 14 shortlisted projects were selected by the judging panel. This included writer Anna White, urban designer Ed Jarvis, Mary Duggan Architects founder Mary Duggan, and architecture photographer Peter Molloy.The Archmonger director's self-designed home is among London's best home renovations. Photo by French + TyeThe jury praised the diversity of scale in the shortlisted projects, adding that renovations and extensions of all sizes can significantly improve a home."The shortlisted projects all demonstrated exemplary approaches towards the material considerations prioritising existing fabric and energy performance," said Duggan."Projects ranged in typology from whole house remodelling, space extensions to smaller intricate reconfigurations, all aspiring to achieve long-stay arrangements adaptive to growing families."Read: Terracotta-tiled extensions by Emil Eve Architects named London's best home improvement project"These projects offer inspiration and practical solutions for Londoners looking to improve their homes, demonstrating that great design is accessible to all," added NLA head of programme Federico Ortiz."From small-scale refurbishments to bold architectural statements, these homes are proof that Londoners are embracing the potential of their spaces in incredible ways."Bindloss Dawes's bomb-damaged Lordship Park also made the shortlist. Photo by Nick DeardenOther projects on the shortlist include an extension informed by tropical modernism by London studio Sonn and a home by architecture practice Curtaz Studio that celebrates the owners' shared love for photography and nature.Timber dominated in some of the homes, including the Hope Villa extension by architecture studio Proctor & Shaw and Upper Addison Gardens by studios Woodrow Vizor Architects and LonProp.Johan Hybschmann, director of London studio Archmongers, was shortlisted for the transformation of his own 1970s home, while homeowner Natallia Tanko showcased DIY initiative with her self-built Hands-on Home.A former clergy house is in contention for winning the competitionProjects that focused solely on making use of an existing home, rather than extending it, included architecture practice THISS Studio's transformation of an underused space in Hartley House and a former clergy house that was renovated by design studios Nina+Co and Roar.Loca studio O'Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects transformed a south London home to make it more suited to hybrid working, while VATRAA created a connection with the outdoors by designing a sunken kitchen extension where the seating aligns with the garden level.The winning home renovation will be announced on 19 February by competition organiser New London Architecture (NLA), with which Dezeen is a media partner.Last year's overall winner was a terracotta-tiled extension by London studioEmil Eve Architects, which was praised for its playful use of colour.Scroll down to see all 14 shortlisted projects:Photo by French + TyeAperture House by Curtaz StudioPhoto by James RetiefDatum House by DHausPhoto by French + TyeElemental House by ArchmongersPhoto by Natacha BisarreHands-on Home by Natallia TankoPhoto by Henry WoideHartley House by THISS StudioPhoto by Jim StephensonHope Villa by Proctor & ShawPhoto by James RetiefHouse Extension in Islington by VATRAAPhoto by Nick DeardenLordship Park by Bindloss DawesNina's House by Nina+Co and RoarPhoto by Philippa LangleyPlaster House by SonnPhoto by Stale EriksenRaw House by O'Sullivan Skoufoglou ArchitectsPhoto by Rikard KahnSteel House by EBBA ArchitectsPhoto by James RetiefTerzetto by ConForm ArchitectsPhoto by Adam ScottUpper Addison Gardens by Woodrow Vizor Architects and LonPropThe post Don't Move, Improve! 2025 shortlist spotlights London's best home renovations appeared first on Dezeen.

The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features Honda's first major logo redesign since the 1980s.Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now.Car brand Honda revealed an updated logo for the brand's future electric cars. The redesign simplified the logo by removing the distinctive H from the thin square that previously encircled it.Los Angeles mayor issues executive order for "residents to rapidly rebuild"This week's newsletter also featured news about an executive order from the Los Angeles mayor urging residents to rebuild quickly, twin skyscrapers in Instanbul by architecture studio KPF and American retailer Walmart's updated logo.Dezeen AgendaDezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features the hottest reader comments and most-debated stories, Dezeen Dailyis our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours andDezeen In Depthis sent on the last Friday of every month anddelves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.The post Dezeen Agenda features Honda's revamped logo for electric vehicles appeared first on Dezeen.

Los Angeles building professionals have developed lists including architects, contractors, and engineers interested in providing their services towards rebuilding and relocation efforts in the wake of wildfires spreading across the city.Design public relations firm Nelson Daly, architect Rachel Shillander and interior designer Adam Hunter are among those in the Los Angeles design community organising resources to aid in evacuation and rebuilding efforts.Over 12,000 structures in the city have been collectively lost to the Eaton, Palisades, Hurst and Auto fire, with high-velocity Santa winds threatening to spread the flames further.LA designers have begun to form aid groups to help in rebuilding efforts. Top image is by Kelvin ChengIn response, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass recently issued the Return and Rebuild executive order, which reportedly will push past bureaucratic red tape to expedite rebuilding efforts.Simultaneously, a number of building professionals are organising aid efforts where they can, with some focused on providing resources for homeowners looking to navigate building a home for the first time when safe."It's a process that unfolds day by day as we understand how policymakers will revise permitting and codes to help people get back into their homes," Los Angeles architect Populous Joanna Grant told Dezeen."Many of these people would not likely engage with an architect in their lifetimes, as they may be in generational housing, wholly unfamiliar with the design process. We want to make this process as easy and streamlined for them as possible and provide oversight so that they can feel at ease that their needs in such a time of need are taken care of."Providing services for those displaced by firesTogether with Meara Daly of the public relations firm Nelson Daly, Grant is compiling a developing master list of volunteer architects, designers, consultants and others interested in offering services.The list of professionals, which Grant and Daly are also vetting for credentials, will be available on a website called Design for LA.Among the signatories are members of local and national architecture studios such as LOHA, GLUCK+, NBBJ and HOK."We want to develop a website, produce pamphlets, and conduct community workshops to help the members of the community understand what the process of rebuilding will be like," said Grant.The pair's effort will also include an ADU resource guide.Other architects are following suit, such as Rhme Architects, whichoffersfree services including consultations, site visits and fire resilience strategies for home builders.Read: Los Angeles mayor issues executive order for "residents to rapidly rebuild"Rachel Shillander of LA LLandis compiling resources, one of which is a Rebuild LA Architecture Slack channel with over 200 people collaborating to "pool resources" to "help rebuild our community and support each other in the process", according to Shillander.Other efforts within the community include providing resources for those displaced by the fires, including the non-profit LA Can Do recently launched by interior designer Adam Hunter.The non-profit collects donated "furniture, homewares, and linens" for those affected."It's about helping people rebuild their lives and restore hope for the future," said Hunter.Close to 90,000 people in the city are under evacuation orders according to NBC Los Angeles, while the New York Times reports many evacuees are shoring up in hotels, shelters, relatives' houses, or cars.Frustrated with irresponsible development practices, LA designers and critics have called for rethinking the typical cycles of rebuilding after disaster, while several landmarks have been lost to the fires in addition to thousands of homes.The post LA architects and designers form aid groups to make rebuilding "as streamlined as possible" appeared first on Dezeen.