Researchers from the US-based University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Mechanical Engineering, have applied cold spray to repair the deteriorating “Brown Bridge” in Great Barrington, built in 1949. The project marks the first known use of this method on bridge infrastructure and aims to evaluate its effectiveness as a faster, more cost-effective, and less disruptive alternative to conventional repair techniques. “Now that we’ve completed this proof-of-concept repair, we see a clear path to a solution that is much faster, less costly, easier, and less invasive,” said Simos Gerasimidis, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “To our knowledge, this is a first. Of course, there is some R&D that needs to be developed, but this is a huge milestone to that,” he added. The pilot project is also a collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration. It was supported by the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative, which provided essential equipment for the demonstration. Members of the UMass Amherst and MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering research team, led by Simos Gerasimidis (left, standing). Photo via UMass Amherst. Tackling America’s Bridge Crisis with Cold Spray Technology Nearly half of the bridges across the United States are in “fair” condition, while 6.8% are classified as “poor,” according to the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. In Massachusetts, about 9% of the state’s 5,295 bridges are considered structurally deficient. The costs of restoring this infrastructure are projected to exceed $190 billion—well beyond current funding levels.  The cold spray method consists of propelling metal powder particles at high velocity onto the beam’s surface. Successive applications build up additional layers, helping restore its thickness and structural integrity. This method has successfully been used to repair large structures such as submarines, airplanes, and ships, but this marks the first instance of its application to a bridge. One of cold spray’s key advantages is its ability to be deployed with minimal traffic disruption.  “Every time you do repairs on a bridge you have to block traffic, you have to make traffic controls for substantial amounts of time,” explained Gerasimidis. “This will allow us to [apply the technique] on this actual bridge while cars are going [across].” To enhance precision, the research team integrated 3D LiDAR scanning technology into the process. Unlike visual inspections, which can be subjective and time-consuming, LiDAR creates high-resolution digital models that pinpoint areas of corrosion. This allows teams to develop targeted repair plans and deposit materials only where needed—reducing waste and potentially extending a bridge’s lifespan. Next steps: Testing Cold-Sprayed Repairs The bridge is scheduled for demolition in the coming years. When that happens, researchers will retrieve the repaired sections for further analysis. They plan to assess the durability, corrosion resistance, and mechanical performance of the cold-sprayed steel in real-world conditions, comparing it to results from laboratory tests. “This is a tremendous collaboration where cutting-edge technology is brought to address a critical need for infrastructure in the commonwealth and across the United States,” said John Hart, Class of 1922 Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. “I think we’re just at the beginning of a digital transformation of bridge inspection, repair and maintenance, among many other important use cases.” 3D Printing for Infrastructure Repairs Beyond cold spray techniques, other innovative 3D printing methods are emerging to address construction repair challenges. For example, researchers at University College London (UCL) have developed an asphalt 3D printer specifically designed to repair road cracks and potholes. “The material properties of 3D printed asphalt are tunable, and combined with the flexibility and efficiency of the printing platform, this technique offers a compelling new design approach to the maintenance of infrastructure,” the UCL team explained. Similarly, in 2018, Cintec, a Wales-based international structural engineering firm, contributed to restoring the historic Government building known as the Red House in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This project, managed by Cintec’s North American branch, marked the first use of additive manufacturing within sacrificial structures. It also featured the installation of what are claimed to be the longest reinforcement anchors ever inserted into a structure—measuring an impressive 36.52 meters. Join our Additive Manufacturing Advantage (AMAA) event on July 10th, where AM leaders from Aerospace, Space, and Defense come together to share mission-critical insights. Online and free to attend.Secure your spot now. Who won the2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletterto keep up with the latest 3D printing news. You can also follow us onLinkedIn, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content. Featured image shows members of the UMass Amherst and MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering research team, led by Simos Gerasimidis (left, standing). Photo via UMass Amherst.

The Rustline Home is decorated is an affair of terracotta, rust, and cream. This space mixes warm tones with bold art, creating an atmosphere that feels expressive. From color-blocked accents to framed pieces that pop against soft backdrops… the home feels like a live-in gallery!This space is decorated by Tetyana Savchenko and photographed by Sergiy Kadulin Photography. The living room in the Rustline Home blends soft grey upholstery with bold accents in rust, ochre, and black. The layered throw and cushions echo the terracotta tones found throughout the home. Simultaneously, the black-and-white geometric rug anchors the space with artistic contrast. Sculptural vases and art books on the nesting tables turn the coffee zone into a mini gallery. Finally, a tripod floor lamp adds a hint of the mid-century modern style. Just beyond, the kitchen continues the warm color story with matte terracotta cabinetry, subtly ribbed for texture, paired with light oak base cabinets and a speckled grey stone backsplash. Minimalist black fixtures and hardware offer a graphic element, while open sightlines between the kitchen and living room create a seamless flow. Tucked between clean lines and creamy walls, the dining area feels like a serene art gallery moment. The rounded table and boucle chairs add softness, while playful wall art and sculptural lighting add whimsy. Whether it’s morning coffee or a dinner chat, this corner makes everyday dining feel curated. This bedroom is anchored by a mix of rust, navy, and marigold. The bold textiles and striped pillows create a dynamic rhythm, while the geometric wall art adds visual interest. Crisp white bedding keeps the look fresh, and the floating nightstands with sculptural vases save floor space while adding functionality. This bedroom features a grid-style mirror that expands the space visually. Bold, framed art pieces inject personality. The color-blocked bedding and folk-style throw hint at global influences, while the adjacent workspace, with its woven baskets and sculptural decor, adds functionality. The bathrooms in the Rustline Home blend warm terracotta vanities with white sinks and black fixtures. Stone-textured tiles add depth, while round mirrors and curated accents keep the look soft and modern. Thoughtful touches, like framed prints and rolled towels, make these spaces feel calm and creative.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.   Is an architecture firm designing its own studio the equivalent of an artist painting a self-portrait? (Should we coin the term “auto-architecture?”) Perhaps this isn’t a perfect analogy, but it certainly contains parallels that are productive to parse… Studio spaces are distinct from offices in that they not only shape daily rituals and structure relationships between colleagues but also act as an expression of the values at the core of the firm’s design philosophies. Freed from the usual constraints of client briefs, for many firms, designing their own workspace offers a unique opportunity for experimentation and self-expression. The studios featured in this collection span diverse geographies and contexts — from a vaulted school library repurposed as an “anti-office,” to a carbon-neutral warehouse conversion in Sydney, to a minimalist tiled atelier in Casablanca. Despite their differences, each workspace shares a commitment to thoughtful design that blurs the line between functions and offers a vision for cultivating creativity. More than places of production, these studios are active expressions of architectural identity; spaces that support not only what architects make, but how they make it. They also challenge outdated typologies and embrace the hybrid realities of contemporary practice. Skylab HQ By Skylab, Portland, Oregon After spending years in a historic structure in downtown Portland, the Skylab team decided the time had come to create a space that reflected the dynamic nature of their practice. They asked themselves: “How can our studio evolve from a dedicated workspace to a playground for the art and design community? Where can we find a space to integrate gardens, an event venue, and a fabrication shop, as well as our studio?” Leaving the downtown core, they opted to transform a pair of WWII-era prefabricated steel warehouses into a hybrid studio, fabrication lab and cultural venue supporting both architectural production and artistic exchange. Strategic insertions — like a 60-foot-long (18-meter) ridge skylight, 10-foot (3-meter) operable window walls and CLT-framed meeting rooms — maximize daylight and material contrast, balancing industrial grit with biophilic warmth. The adaptive reuse reflects the firm’s ethos of experimentation, extending their design process into the very architecture that houses it. Alexander House By Alexander &CO., Sydney, Australia Jury Winner, Architecture +Workspace, 10th Annual A+Awards Alexander House functions as both studio and experimental prototype, integrating low-carbon construction with hybrid live/work spatial typologies tailored to an evolving architectural practice. While functioning as an architectural residential showcase, the team also works from this home, and their clients meet with them there; the project challenges preconceptions of home, land, family and work. From a voluminous material library in the basement to a concrete mezzanine bench designed for quiet focus, the layout supports varied modes of design work while challenging conventional boundaries between domestic and professional space. Crafted in collaboration with local makers, the building also pioneers sustainability through reclaimed timber linings, carbon-neutral bricks, and a solar system supplying up to 80% of daily energy demand. say architects Community Office By say architects, Hangzhou, China Say Architects’ office reimagines workplace architecture as a life-oriented, materially expressive environment, where exposed I-beams structure both the building and the studio’s daily rhythms. Cantilevered volumes, rope-grown greenery, and integrated misting systems animate the exterior, while steel-framed shelving and model rooms of rich timber textures create a tactile, inspiration-driven interior. Prioritizing adaptability and sensory comfort, the space dissolves traditional partitions in favor of spatial arrangements that align with design habits, offering a studio that is both tool and manifesto. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Philadelphia Studio By Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s Philadelphia studio transforms a historic social club (founded in 1923) into a contemporary workspace through adaptive reuse, prioritizing flexibility, daylight and material economy. The goal was to create a highly flexible work environment that would allow designers to move quickly between individual work, impromptu discussions and group meetings throughout the day. Restored terrazzo floors and ornamental detailing anchor a modern layout featuring hoteling desks, collaborative mezzanine zones and panoramic views of the city center.  The design supports agile workflows and hybrid collaboration while integrating repurposed custom furnishings to extend the life cycle of past projects. ADND OFFICE By Atelier Design N Domain, Mumbai, India ADND’s new Bombay headquarters is a richly layered adaptive reuse of a century-old industrial warehouse, reimagined as an expressive design laboratory charged with material experimentation and symbolic nuance. The studio’s soaring central bay reaches 26 feet (8 meters) in height, punctuated by 7-foot (2-meter) pivoting porthole windows that flood the workspace with southern light, evoking a cathedral-like ambiance. Throughout, bespoke interventions — from terrazzo-cast floors and mirrored reception desks to hand-sketched upholstery and looped oak chairs — translate the founders’ personal design dialects into architectural form, creating a space where industrial memory and contemporary authorship converge. Studio Cays X Studio BO By Studio CAYS, Casablanca, Morocco In this Casablanca-based studio, minimalist rigor meets material clarity through tiled walls and seamless epoxy flooring, crafting a luminous, low-maintenance workspace. At its core, a central bench anchors the open-plan layout, fostering daily collaboration and reinforcing the studio’s emphasis on shared ideation within a purified architectural envelope. Smart Design Studio By smart design studio, Alexandria, Australia Jury Winner, Office Interiors (<25,000 sq ft); Jury Winner, Office Building Low Rise, 10th Annual A+Awards Smart Design Studio’s headquarters fuses industrial heritage with cutting-edge sustainability, transforming a conserved warehouse into a carbon-neutral workspace powered by on-site energy and water collection systems. The studio’s open-plan interior is crowned by a mezzanine framed by original steel trusses, while a striking vaulted residence above features self-supporting brick catenary arches — an elegant synthesis of structural economy and sculptural ambition. Designed to reflect the material restraint and innovation of early industrial architecture, the building is a working manifesto for the studio’s interdisciplinary ethos. Architect’s Office at Kim Yam Road By Park + Associates, Singapore Popular Choice Winner, Office Interiors, 10th Annual A+Awards Photos by Edward Hendricks Occupying a former library hall atop a repurposed 1960s school, this studio embraces the latent grandeur of its barrel-vaulted, column-free volume to craft a boundary-less, anti-office environment. Full-height louvered windows invite daylight and breeze through the arching space, while the design resists conventional programming in favor of layered, informal settings that foster creativity and fluid collaboration. Rather than overwrite its past, the intervention amplifies the building’s inherent spatial expression; through adaptive reuse, the architects position atmosphere as architecture. Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.   The post Self-Portrait in Plan: 8 Architecture Studios Designed By Their Owners appeared first on Journal.

The Carbon MORPHEUS is so sleek and streamlined its wind-tunnel test is probably just a bunch of parallel lines. Designed by EPTA, this mid-engine two-seater supercar skips nostalgia and dives straight into aggressive futurism. It looks engineered by a design studio that sees speed not as a metric, but as a shape. The design brief? “Design is the language of dreams.” Which sounds poetic until you realize what they’ve dreamt up could moonlight as a Batmobile in a Nolan film – just sharper, lower, and probably too dangerous for even Bruce Wayne. A manifesto of Italian elegance, they call it. But it leans more toward brutalist cyberpunk with a splash of Lamborghini’s wild DNA and a whisper of Bertone-era silhouette language. That tapered greenhouse? Pure retro-futurism, the kind that could only come from a country that worships both speed and sculpture in equal measure. Designer: EPTA Design The bodywork is entirely carbon fiber, and not just as a flex. The weave is visible from every angle, wrapping around exaggerated wheel arches and angry origami-like creases. It’s not just aesthetics either – it’s structure, soul, and statement. The reflections rolling off the surface are almost liquid, a high-gloss hallucination of light and intent. Look closely and you’ll see the word “VEPTA” near the front wheels, perhaps a clue or a red herring in EPTA Design’s growing mythos. Around the back, things get wild. Four vertical exhausts erupt from a tail section that looks like a spaceship’s afterburner array. There’s no wing, but the rear deck itself swoops like it’s ready to generate lift – or downforce, depending on how many laws of physics it’s trying to bend. A golden center-lock nut anchors the gloss-black wheels, which are wide, multi-spoked, and performance-obsessed. Brake calipers peek out in red, adding a splash of aggression to an otherwise stealth-fighter palette. From above, the canopy has a near-seamless wrap of glass and carbon. It’s tight. Tense. Like a jet cockpit shrunken down and perched just ahead of a carbon fiber storm. The symmetry here is clinical, the panel gaps razor-thin. It doesn’t just look fast; it looks like it was born in a vacuum chamber under military surveillance. EPTA says this is a “mid-engine two-seater supercar,” which automatically tells you what kind of proportions and intent they’re working with. But beyond the silhouette and stance, this thing is abstract sculpture on wheels. It’s less about raw specs and more about shaping emotion through velocity. And yet, it’s not lost in concept art fantasy. The presence is real, the panels are real, the reflections tell you this isn’t just a digital mockup. There’s heat coming out of those pipes in one of the rear shots. That’s combustion. That’s ambition made tactile. You don’t commit this hard to an idea unless you’re serious about chasing it into reality.The post The MORPHEUS Supercar Concept Could Make Batman Rethink His Ride first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Split House / Collage Architecture StudioSave this picture!© Harshan Thomson, Abhishek ChavhanHouses•Bengaluru, India Architects: Collage Architecture Studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  578 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Harshan Thomson, Abhishek Chavhan Lead Architects: Swapnil Valvatkar, Arunkumar Deivanayagam, Adwitha Suvarna More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Located in the Sunny Brooks community of Bengaluru, the Split-House by Collage Architecture Studio is designed for a family of four. It brings together nature and privacy through a simple but powerful design idea: a central split. Rather than dividing, this split connects the house with light, air, and greenery, while clearly separating public and private areas.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Set on an 80x83.5-foot plot, the house works around existing trees and blends with the natural surroundings. The west-facing site has both pedestrian and vehicle entries in the northwest corner. A parking space for two cars sits behind a wall, and a clear walkway leads to the front door. Staff have a separate entry from the southeast corner, giving them direct access to the utility and service areas.Save this picture!The entrance steps lead to a south-facing main door. Inside, a stairwell next to a planter acts as a calm, welcoming space. A bird sculpture on the wall adds a quiet artistic touch. From here, the living room opens up on the left. It's a bright and airy space with two glazed walls—one of which slides open to connect directly to a deck. The interiors use a simple palette: white walls, wood finishes, brown accents, and green views.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!At the center of the house is the split—a gravel bed between two built volumes, with a granite slab that acts as a stepping stone. A glass wall bends into a skylight, bringing in light. Three slender trees grow from this gravel bed, and a white puja room anchors the core. A bridge above links both volumes, with a curved teak ceiling adding warmth. Nearby, the dining area sits between greenery, with a teak table that seats eight.Save this picture!Save this picture!The private wing houses the kitchen, which is efficient and clean, with all utility spaces hidden. Next to it is the master bedroom on the ground floor, with large windows and a sliding door opening to the garden. It includes a dressing area and an elegant bathroom.Save this picture!The sculptural staircase leads to the upper level. Made of cantilevered concrete treads with a teak handrail, it feels light and open. The second master bedroom above the first follows a similar layout and opens to a west-facing balcony with granite louvers and a swing. The mother's room is also on this level, with its own balcony and a view into the puja and dining areas below. A bridge leads to the second volume, where a family room opens to a terrace and a guest suite has its own balcony and twin vanities.Save this picture!The terrace level includes a flexible lounge, Jacuzzi, steam room, and shaded deck on one side. The other side is left open to the sky, used for events, gatherings, or stargazing. A narrow bridge at the back connects the two volumes. The Split-House is a calm, clear, and functional home. It brings together family life and nature in a way that feels natural and easy to live in.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this office Published on May 30, 2025Cite: "The Split House / Collage Architecture Studio" 30 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030499/the-split-house-collage-architecture-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

"AI is inevitable."That's a phrase that's rattled around my head for a month. Not willingly mind you. It's taken up lodging in my grey matter after hearing it in meetings, reading it in emails, and seeing it buffeted back and forth across Bluesky, LinkedIn, and Discord.It's not a convincing phrase. If you hear it from AI boosters it's easy to brush off as raw hype, and if you hear it from doomsayers it can lull you into a sense of fatalism. But as the philosopher Natasha Bedingfield told us in 2004, today is where the book begins, the rest is still unwritten. Nothing, for better or worse, is inevitable.But in those various calls another phrase—one you may have heard at your studio—has slipped past more unnoticed: "AI is just a tool. It can be used for good or evil, like any other tool."After all this is a business where we use tools for good or evil, right and wrong, correctly and incorrectly. We debate the effectiveness of Unity, Unreal, or Godot. We agonize over whether to use procedural versus hand-crafted content. We debate and discuss the topic so much that Game Developers Conference has a whole Tools Summit dedicated to craft of making game development software.Viewing generative AI through the neutral lens of tool assessment is natural—and I'll go so far as to say admirable—for our community. It's a method we use to get past hype and bombast, to try and take technology on its own terms and see how it fits our purposes. And as the 2025 GDC State of the Industry report tells us, some developers are adopting generative AI, plenty of them not bought in on the hype but through the act of seeking the right tool for the job.Related:But looking at generative AI as 'just a tool' is a deeply flawed lens. That phrase betrays a quiet cynicism (one we hear often from opponents of firearm regulation in the United Stats). Because nothing—not generative AI, not a firearm, not even a hammer—is "just a tool."The function of tools is influenced by their formConsider two tools found in many American households: the claw hammer and the handgun.Normally Game Developer restricts itself to the craft of making video games but I promise this is relevant. Guns are another tool where neutralizing rhetoric is deployed to downplay a tool's negative effects. I grew up in a gun-owning house in a gun-owning neighborhood in suburban Maryland. There were probably four handguns sitting in lockboxes across two rooms, a few rifles and shotguns in a vault in the basement, and one questionably legal World War I firearm tucked away in a closet. The NRA's mantra of "guns don't kill people, people kill people" was commonplace. A neighbor of mine laughed when I advocated for stronger regulations on gun ownership on the basis of "guns are meant to kill." "Guns aren't meant to kill," I recall him saying. "Cars can kill people. Does that mean cars are meant for killing?"His point boils down to this: The outcome of the tool's use is not worth considering when discussing regulation, only its potential use. A gun is a tool and the user has control over a tool is used.Cars are already tightly regulated and cost thousands of dollars, making his point moot, so we'll break down the construction of the claw hammer instead. We generally refer to hammers as being used to pound nails into wood, but I mainly use mine for hammering anchors into drywall because I'm a theater kid and was taught in crew to trust screws.In either case, the physical shape of the claw hammer dictates its most common purpose. The handle extends into a metal object that is blunt at one end, and clawed on the other. The design follows the swing of the human arm, transferring kinetic energy generated by the bicep, down the elbow, through the wrist, and into the blunt end.We also know that claw hammers are not useful for every form of transferring this energy. Variations on hammer design like the ball-peen hammer show how this basic purpose needs to be altered for different tasks. The shape and the material changes depending on the purpose. To sell more hammers, companies invest in better materials and affordances like rubber grips to make their use more comfortable.Like a firearm, hammers can be used as weapons. That same transference of force can be used to harm another living being. Video games sometimes place hammers in a players' loadout alongside guns, grenades, and weapons of war.Neither the hammer nor the firearm is "just" a tool. They are tools that are optimized for a purpose. We can study that purpose, and cast judgements about a tool's safety, merits, and need to be regulated based on that.But. The shape of the hammer is not an efficient way to inflict harm. This is supported by data from the FBI Crime Statistics survey, which gathers data filed by police departments that participate in assembling data. "Handgun" is the most common weapon used in homicides, and "knife/cutting instrument" ranks higher than "blunt objects." That's because handguns are an incredibly efficient means of wounding living beings.Let's break down the handgun the way we did the hammer. Handguns are assembled from an assortment of components that transfer the squeeze of a trigger into the strike of a hammer against a firing pin, which strikes the primer of a bullet's cartridge and sends it propelling out of the tube. Though some bullets seen in larger firearms are meant to penetrate metal, a handgun's bullet is envisioned and designed to cut through flesh.Image via Adobe Stock.These constraints make handguns efficient at few other tasks. In a pinch you could use the butt of a handgun as a hammer. I can't find any data about them being used for that purpose. I can only wander onto a construction site and count the number of firearms in toolboxes as a general sample size.Neither the hammer nor the firearm is "just" a tool. They are tools that are optimized for a purpose. We can study that purpose, and cast judgements about a tool's safety, merits, and need to be regulated based on that. Firearm advocates oppose this process through neutralizing language because it's difficult to dispute the correlation between the number of guns versus the number of murders and assaults with guns in a geographic area.Generative AI proponents sometimes regurgitate that language when defending this new technology. Because like the gun lobby, they don't want the purpose of generative AI decided by its outcomes, only its potential.What is that purpose? It may be the death of truth itself.Generative AI is broadly used to deceive through mimicryGenerative AI is a tool for deception.That's not what its biggest backers will tell you. It's broadly pitched as a tool for efficiency. But efficiency is hard to measure and easy to game. Deception is loud and obvious. Students are using it to cheat on papers. Scam calls with AI-generated voices are on the rise. The Department Human Health and Services published a study citing secretary Kennedy's unfounded health views that cites nonexistent studies, likely generated through AI. There was that cadre of YouTubers creating AI-generated fake movie trailers to attract clicks and make money off people who don't follow entertainment use. Apple marketed Apple Intelligence with advertisements showing people deceiving their neighbors, family, and coworkers. Activision Blizzard used generative AI to advertise games that don't exist.Now here's the rub: games—and all of entertainment—are also a form of deception. We use the phrase "magic circle" to describe how we attract players into our worlds. We use camera tricks, rendering technology, and even VO barks to simulate digital worlds. People engage with games, film, TV, books, and especially magic shows because on some level they want to be not just deceived, but lied to. AI has also been sold as technology that will let every player make their own perfect experience tailored for them by generating worlds, visual assets, and audio on the fly. But the best pitches I've heard for AI tend to "hide" the presence of the LLM, only mildly asking the player for prompts in order to accomplish behind-the-scenes computing tasks. These lies can make shared realities, not wholly distinct ones.That is the difference between telling lies to make virtual worlds and and telling lies to shape the real one. Lies in virtual worlds create shared realities. Lies in the real world tear them down.How appropriate that one such "shared reality," the Star Wars show Andor, recently warned us about the price we pay with treating AI as "just a tool." "The loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous," said the character Mon Mothma in a climactic speech decrying the whitewashing of a carefully executed genocide."When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest."Game Developers Conference and Game Developer are sibling organizations under Informa.

Villa Air / ARK-architectureSave this picture!© Bilel KhemakhemHouses•Tunis, Tunisia Architects: ARK-architecture Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Bilel Khemakhem Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:  Trespa, Elements, QUICK-STEP, REVIGLASS, Saint Gobain Glass, Schüco, TOSHIBAMore SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Villa Air is a distilled expression of contemporary architecture rooted in the Tunisian landscape. Set within a two-hectare plot in Morneg, this 1,500 m² residence unfolds as a meditative dialogue between built form and topography. The site, defined by its gentle slope and sweeping views, culminates in the striking silhouette of the Jbal Errsas mountain range—a natural horizon that anchors the architectural narrative. From the outset, the project embraces a central duality: the tension between gravitas and lightness, between groundedness and suspension. This dialectic, subtly embedded in the villa's name, structures the entire composition. Distributed across three levels, the house is articulated as a series of horizontal strata punctuated by bold cantilevers. These projections—remarkably slender at just 45 cm thick—embody both structural daring and environmental responsiveness, casting precise shadow lines that temper the Mediterranean sun.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Rather than asserting dominance over the terrain, the architecture yields to it. The villa engages the land with measured restraint, allowing the natural contours to guide its form. A textured finish in earthy tones fosters chromatic continuity with the ground, while the massing cascades along the slope, suggesting a geological emergence rather than an architectural imposition. The principal façade distills the project's ethos: a calibrated composition of apertures that frames the landscape as a sequence of living tableaux. Each elevation is attuned to its orientation, choreographing a spatial experience that is both immersive and contemplative. Here, architecture acts not as a boundary, but as a lens.Save this picture!Materiality is approached with deliberate restraint. Pristine white volumes capture the shifting Mediterranean light, animating surfaces in a daily choreography of shadows. Travertine and timber introduce tactile warmth, while concrete elements — subtly tinted with sand pigments — ground the building in its context and enhance its material belonging. Internally, the spatial organization privileges continuity and flow. Circulations are not mere connectors, but choreographed transitions. Double-height volumes channel daylight deep into the core, while vertical pathways become elevated promenades offering ever-evolving perspectives of the surrounding landscape.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The architecture explores a central paradox: the reconciliation of intimacy with openness, of enclosure with exposure. This tension is resolved through a refined gradation of thresholds, where interiors dissolve into terraces and open platforms, softening the boundaries between inside and out. Twin infinity pools extend the architectural geometry toward the horizon, amplifying the sensation of lightness and spatial suspension. Water and sky converge in a silent dialogue, completing the project's aspiration to exist not merely in the landscape but in symbiosis with it. Villa Air stands as a testament to a site-specific Mediterranean modernism — one that privileges clarity, precision, and sensory depth. More than a functional residence, it evokes a poetic condition of dwelling: a place where form, matter, and perception converge in quiet resonance.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeARK-architectureOffice••• MaterialConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on May 30, 2025Cite: "Villa Air / ARK-architecture" 30 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030593/villa-air-ark-architecture&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

The Obalende bus terminus is one of Lagos’s most important transport nodes and a ‘graveyard’ for old danfos, which in Yoruba means ‘hurry’. These yellow‑painted minibuses form the backbone of Lagos’s informal transport system and are mostly second‑hand imports from the global north. Located in the heart of Lagos Island, Obalende is one of the first areas to be developed east of the lagoon that splits Lagos into two main halves: the Island and the Mainland. It receives a large portion of urban commuters daily, especially those entering Lagos Island for work. Obalende plays a critical role in the cycle of material reuse across the city. The life of a danfo does not end at retirement; it continues through a vast network of informal markets and recyclers that sustain entire communities. Their metal parts are either repurposed to fix other buses or sold as scrap at markets such as Owode Onirin. Located about 25km away on the Lagos Mainland, Owode Onirin, which means ‘money iron market’ in Yoruba, is a major hub for recycled metals. Waste collectors scour the city’s demolition sites for brass and mild steel; they find copper, bronze and aluminium in discarded vehicles. These materials are then processed and sold to companies such as African Foundries and Nigerian Foundries, as well as to local smiths who transform them into building parts, moulds and decorative objects. Sorters, welders and artisans form the backbone of this circular micro‑economy. Their labour breathes new life into discarded matter.  Lagos has a State Waste Management Authority, but it is fraught with politicking and inefficient in managing the city’s complex waste cycle. In the absence of intelligent state strategies, it falls on people to engineer solutions. They add armatures, build networks and modulate the static thresholds and borders imposed by the state. Today, these techniques and intelligences, born out of scarcity, are collectively labelled ‘informality’, a term that flattens their ingenuity.  Across the streets of Obalende and around its central roundabout, kiosks and pop‑up shops dominate the landscape. Most are constructed from materials such as timber reclaimed from collapsed buildings or fallen fascias, along with salvaged tarpaulins. Stones and concrete blocks found at demolition sites are moulded into anchors using discarded plastic paint buckets, serving as bases for umbrellas offering relief from the scorching Lagos sun. To anticipate flash flooding, many structures are raised slightly above ground on short stilts. Space, which is in short supply, is creatively repurposed to serve different functions at various times of the day; a single location might host breakfast vendors in the morning, fruit sellers in the afternoon and medicine hawkers at night. Due to its proximity to the city centre, Obalende experiences constant population shifts. Most entering the city at this node have no means of livelihood and often become salvagers. Under the curling ends of the Third Mainland Bridge, for example, a community of migrants gathers, surviving by scavenging motor parts, sometimes from old danfos, zinc roofing sheets and other materials of meagre value. Discarded mattresses, bedding and mosquito nets are repurposed as shelter beneath the noisy overpass, which becomes both workplace and home. In the absence of supportive state frameworks, communities like those in Obalende create micro‑responses to urban precarity. Their fluid, multifunctional spaces are adaptive and resilient architectures resulting from necessity, survival and material intelligence.  ‘Informality as a way of life is inherently circular in its use of space and materials’ In Lagos, the most populous city in Nigeria and one of the most populated in Africa, two thirds of the population live on less than US$1 a day, according to Amnesty International. This speaks not only to income levels but to multidimensional poverty. Unlike global cities such as Mumbai, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro, where poorer demographics are largely confined to specific neighbourhoods at the margins, informality in Lagos is not peripheral but integral to how the city functions, defying the rigid thresholds and boundaries of formal urban planning.  Across Lagos, self‑sustaining circular economies flourish. Orile, a metal market located on the mainland, is one of the sites where discarded metals from sites in Lagos can be sold as part of a recycling system. Further out in the suburbs of Lagos, also on the mainland, is the Katangua Market, which is the biggest second‑hand clothes market in the city. In Nigeria’s largest hardware technology hub, Computer Village, just south of Lagos in Ikeja, used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE) is sold for parts. A TRT World report notes that about 18,300 tonnes of UEEE arrive in Nigeria annually – although the number varies in other studies to as much as 54,000 tonnes smuggled in – with the majority coming from Europe, closely followed by the US and China.  Computer Village evolved into a dense network of shops, stalls and kiosks between 1998 and 2000, just before Nigeria adopted early digital cellular network technology. The market sits just minutes from the local airport and the Ikeja High Court, but its edges are fluid, spilling out from the Ikeja Underbridge. Over time, formal plots have dissolved into an evolving mesh of trade; the streets are lined with kiosks and carts, built from repurposed plywood, corrugated metal and tarpaulin, that come and go. Space is not owned but claimed, temporarily held, sublet and reshuffled.  Today, Computer Village generates an estimated US$2 billion in annual revenue. Yet most of the shops lack permanence and are constantly at risk of demolition or displacement. In March this year, over 500 shops were demolished overnight at Owode Onirin; in 2023, shopping complexes at Computer Village were torn down in a similar way. The state has continuously announced plans to relocate Computer Village to Katangua Market, with demolition of parts of Katangua Market itself making way for the move in 2020. Urban development patterns in Lagos prioritise formal sectors while ignoring self‑organised makers and traders. This contributes to spatial exclusion, where such communities are often under threat of eviction and relocation.  Discarded devices eventually make their way to landfills. Olusosun, in the very heart of Lagos, is one of Africa’s largest landfills. Over 10,000 tonnes of waste are delivered daily, and more than 5,000 scavengers live and work here, sifting through an artificial mountain of refuse in search of value: aluminium, copper, plastic, cloth. The waste stream, enlarged by the influx of used hardware and fast fashion from the global north, creates both livelihood and hazard. Recent studies have shown that most of the residents in and around the site are exposed to harmful air conditions that affect their lungs. Additionally, the water conditions around the site show infiltration of toxic substances. Scavengers have lost their lives in the process of harvesting metals from discarded electronics.  More than a landfill, Olusosun is a stage for the politics of waste in the global south. Poor regulation enables the flow of unserviceable imports; widespread poverty creates demand for cheap, second‑hand goods. The result is a fragile, and at times dangerous, ecosystem where the absence of the state makes room for informal innovation, such as space reuse and temporary architecture, material upcycling and recycling. In Olusosun, metals are often extracted, crushed and smelted through dangerous processes like open burning. Copper and gold harvested from the ashes then make their way back into products and institutions, such as the insets of bronze or aluminium in a piece of furniture that might eventually travel back to the global north. In its usual fashion, the government has promised to decommission the Olusosun site, but little has been seen in terms of an effective plan to repurpose the site under the state’s so‑called ‘advanced waste treatment initiative’. Informality as a way of life is inherently circular in its use of space and materials. It embodies adaptability, resilience and an intuitive response to economic and environmental conditions. The self‑built infrastructures in Lagos reveal the creativity and resilience of communities navigating the challenges of urban life. Now is the time for designers, policymakers and community leaders to work together and rethink urban development in a way that is more sustainable and responsive to the needs of the people who make cities thrive. The question is not whether informal economies will continue to exist, but how they can be designed into wider city planning – making them part of the solution, not the problem. Featured in the May 2025 issue: Circularity Lead image: Olympia De Maismont / AFP / Getty 2025-05-30 Reuben J Brown Share

Some spaces speak softly, yet leave a lasting impression, and The Lightwell Residence by A10 Architect is one of them. It features a minimalist design and is bathed in natural light. As such, it was envisioned as a serene escape from the chaotic world. Every room feels intentional, where light acts as a design element in its own right. Step inside the Lightwell Residence to explore how daylight shapes every surface and shadow. The living room in the Lightwell Residence feels alive, thanks to the sun’s ever-changing dance across the floor. Wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, the space is an open invitation to nature. The palette is purposefully restrained with the color palette, allowing textures and silhouettes to have their moment. A sculptural sectional anchors the space, flanked by a curved armchair and circular tables. At one end, a modern white piano catches the light just right, creating a subtle sense of occasion. At the other, a sun-drenched reading nook awaits, complete with The kitchen in the Lightwell Residence follows an open floor plan. A large kitchen island and wooden cabinetry take center stage in the kitchen area. In the dining zone, a large dining table provides room to enjoy meals as sunlight enters. The glass-front cabinetry allows glassware to double as decor. The bedroom at the Lightwell Residence is bathed in soft morning light and kissed by the last rays of sunset. A minimalist palette of oat-toned linens, textured throws, and cloudlike upholstery creates a cocoon of calm. The bed sits low and grounded, while the vaulted ceiling above adds grandeur. At the far end of the room, a pair of modern lounge chairs—framed in brass and dressed in ivory—invite slow mornings with coffee. Elevated on a stone platform, the sculptural soaking tub becomes a focal point in the bathroom. Soft, diffused daylight pours in through the windows, enhancing the earthy palette. With clean-lined fixtures and ambient lighting, this space offers the quiet luxury of a private spa.