Casa Sofia | © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG Located in the historic heart of Lagos, Portugal, Casa Sofia by Mário Martins Atelier is a thoughtful exercise in urban integration and contemporary reinterpretation. Occupying a site once held by a modest two-story house, the project is situated on the corner of a block facing the Church of St Sebastião. With its commanding presence, this national monument set a formidable challenge for the architects: introducing a new residence that respects the weight of history while offering a clear, contemporary expression. Casa Sofia Technical Information Architects1-4: Mário Martins Atelier Location: Lagos, Portugal Project Completion Years: 2023 Photographs: © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG It is therefore important to design a building to fit into and complete the block. A house that is quiet and solid, with rhythmic metrics, whose new design brings an identity, with the weight and scent of the times, to a city that has existed for many centuries. – Mário Martins Atelier Casa Sofia Photographs © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG © Fernando Guerra / FG+SG Spatial Organization and Circulation The design’s ambition is anchored in reconciling modern residential needs with the dense urban fabric that defines the walled city. Rather than imposing a bold or disruptive form, the project embraces the existing rhythms and textures of the surrounding architecture. The result is a building that both defers to and elevates the neighborhood’s character. Its restrained profile and carefully modulated facade echo the massing and articulation of the original house while introducing an identity that is clearly of its time. At the core of Casa Sofia’s spatial organization is a deliberate hierarchy of spaces that transitions seamlessly between public, semi-public, and private domains. Entry from the street occurs through a modest set of steps leading to an exterior atrium. This threshold mediates the relationship between the public realm and the interior, grounding the house in its urban context. Once inside, an open hall reveals the vertical flow of the building, dominated by a staircase that appears to float, linking the house’s various levels while maintaining visual continuity throughout. The ground floor houses three bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, radiating from the central hall. This level also contains a small basement for technical support, reinforcing the discreet layering of functional and domestic spaces. Midway up the staircase, the house opens onto a garage, a laundry room, and an intimate courtyard. These areas, essential for daily life, are seamlessly integrated into the overall composition, contributing to a spatial richness that is both pragmatic and sensorial. On the first floor, an open-plan arrangement accommodates the main living spaces. Around a central void, the living and dining areas, kitchen, and master suite are arranged to encourage visual interplay and shared light. This configuration enhances the spatial porosity, ensuring that despite the density of the historic center, the house retains a sense of openness and fluidity. Above, a recessed roof level recedes from the street, culminating in a panoramic terrace with a swimming pool. Here, the building dissolves into the sky, offering expansive views and light-filled leisure spaces that contrast with the more enclosed lower floors. Materiality and Craftsmanship Materiality plays a decisive role in mediating the building’s relationship with its context. White-painted plaster, a familiar element in the region, is punctuated by deep limestone moldings. These details create a play of light and shadow that emphasizes the facade’s verticality and rhythm. The generous thickness of the walls, carried over from the site’s earlier construction, lends a sense of solidity and permanence to the house, recalling the tactile traditions of the Algarve’s architecture. The interior and exterior detailing is characterized by an economy of means, where each material is selected for its ability to reinforce the house’s quiet presence. Local materials and craftsmanship ground the project in its immediate context while responding to environmental imperatives. High thermal comfort is achieved through careful orientation and passive design strategies, complemented by the integration of solar control and water conservation measures. These considerations underscore the project’s commitment to sustainability without resorting to superficial gestures. Broader Urban and Cultural Implications Beyond its immediate function as a family home, Casa Sofia engages in a broader dialogue with its urban and cultural surroundings. The project exemplifies a measured response to the question of how to build within a historical setting without resorting to nostalgia or pastiche. It demonstrates that contemporary architecture can find resonance within heritage contexts by prioritizing the values of continuity, scale, and material authenticity. In its measured dialogue with the Church of St Sebastião and the centuries-old urban landscape of Lagos, Casa Sofia illustrates the potential for architecture to enrich the experience of place through quiet, rigorous interventions. It is a project that reaffirms architecture’s capacity to negotiate between past and present, crafting spaces that are at once deeply contextual and unambiguously of their moment. Casa Sofia Plans Sketch | © Mário Martins Atelier Ground Level | © Mário Martins Atelier Level 1 | © Mário Martins Atelier Level 2 | © Mário Martins Atelier Roof Plan | © Mário Martins Atelier Section | © Mário Martins Atelier Casa Sofia Image Gallery About Mário Martins Atelier Mário Martins Atelier is a Portuguese architecture and urbanism practice founded in 2000 by architect Mário Martins, who holds a degree from the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Lisbon (1988). Headquartered in Lagos with a secondary office in Lisbon, the firm operates with a dedicated multidisciplinary team. The office has developed a broad spectrum of work, from single-family homes and collective housing to public buildings and urban regeneration, distinguished by technical precision, contextual sensitivity, and sustainable strategies. Credits and Additional Notes Lead Architect: Mário Martins, arq. Project Team: Rita Rocha, Sónia Fialho, Susana Caetano, Susana Jóia, Ana Graça Engineering: Nuno Grave Engenharia Building: Marques Antunes Engenharia Lda

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Epic Games has made Odyssey, Praxinos’s 2D animation plugin for Unreal Engine, available for free through Fab, its online marketplace.The software – which can be used for storyboarding or texturing 3D models as well as creating 2D animation – is available for free indefinitely, and will continue to be updated. A serious professional 2D animation tool created by former TVPaint staff Created by a team that includes former developers of standalone 2D animation software TVPaint, Odyssey has been in development since 2019.Part of that work was also funded by Epic Games, with Praxinos receiving an Epic MegaGrant for two of Odyssey’s precursors: painting plugin Iliad and storyboard and layout plugin Epos. Odyssey itself was released last year after beta testing at French animation studios including Ellipse Animation, and originally cost €1,200 for a perpetual license. Create 2D animation, storyboards, or textures for 3D models Although Odyssey’s main function is to create 2D animation – for movie and broadcast projects, motion graphics, or even games – the plugin adds a wider 2D toolset to Unreal Engine.Other use cases include storyboarding – you can import image sequences and turn them into storyboards – and texturing, either by painting 2D texture maps, or painting onto 3D meshes. It supports both 2D and 3D workflows, with the 2D editors – which include a flipbook editor as well as the 2D texture and animation editors – complemented by a 3D viewport. The bitmap painting toolset makes use of Unreal Engine’s Blueprint system, making it possible for users to create new painting brushes using a node-based workflow, and supports pressure sensitivity on graphics tablets. There is also a vector toolset for creating hard-edged shapes. Animation features include onion skinning, Toon Boom-style shift and trace, and automatic inbetweening. The plugin supports standard 2D and 3D file formats, including PSD, FBX and USD. Available for free indefinitely, but future updates planned Epic Games regularly makes Unreal Engine assets available for free through Fab, but usually only for a limited period of time.Odyssey is different, in that it is available for free indefinitely. However, it will continue to get updates: according to Epic Games’ blog post, Praxinos “plans to work in close collaboration with Epic Games and continue to enhance Odyssey”. As well as Odyssey itself, Praxinos offers custom tools development and training, which will hopefully also help to support future development. System requirements and availability Odyssey is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.6 on Windows and macOS. It is available for free under a Fab Standard License, including for commercial use.Read more about Odyssey on Praxinos’s website Find more detailed information in Odyssey’s online manual Download Unreal Engine 2D animation plugin Odyssey for free Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

These 15 Dynamic Photos Will Make You Want to Dance Get footloose with these Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest dance scenes Photographs selected by Quentin Nardi Text by Tracy Scott Forson June 13, 2025 In the 1500s, ballet roles for female characters were performed by men. Women entered the art form in the late 1600s and are now dominant in ballet. Libby Zhang, Texas, 2016 Like many art forms, dance transcends cultures, countries and continents. Flamenco, breakdancing, ballet, tango and other well-known genres are all forms of movement performed all across the globe. While being a professional can take decades of dedication and training, one appeal of dance is that you don’t have to be an expert to participate in or enjoy it. Just visit any preschool for evidence of that. “The arts teach tolerance because there is no one way of doing anything,” said dance icon and Emmy winner Debbie Allen. While some forms of dance are more structured and formal than others, they’re all about using the body as a tool of expression. Take a look. In Istanbul, a customary trance-like dance, embodying spiritual devotion and the pursuit of unity with the divine, is performed as part of a Sufi ceremony. Uku Sööt, Turkey, 2024 Passersby cheer and applaud energetic dancers in vibrant colors as they entertain a crowd at Fuzhou. Yi Yuan, China, 2024 A young dance student’s elegant movements are complemented by the flow and motion of her beautiful garment. Felicia Tolbert, Michigan, 2024 During a celebration in Tyrol, the locals perform a traditional dance called Schuhplattler, which is very demanding physically and requires the dancers to reach their shoes while jumping. Ory Schneor, Austria, 2024 Young dancers strike poses for photos before participating in a performance at Brihadeeswara Temple. Ravikanth Kurma, India, 2019 Members of Hush Crew, based in Boston, perform at public venues around the city—and all over social media—showing off their dance skills. Paul Karns, Massachusetts, 2024 A flamenco dancer from Granada jumps to heights that could rival any NBA Hall of Famer. Javier Fergo, Spain, 2017 Dancers of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet nearly collide as they practice for a performance titled The Roof. Le Nguyen Huy Thuy, Vietnam, 2015 Genres converge as two dancers fuse the movements and choreography of ballet and hip-hop. Tom Griscom, Tennessee, 2015 A teenage dance student celebrates the first day of summer with an iconic ballet leap. Vicki Surges, Minnesota, 2010 Dressed in elaborate, ornate garments, dancers celebrating Day of the Dead participate in a colorful parade. Michelle Atkinson, Texas, 2013 With roots in Italy, ballet, like many forms of dance, is now common in countries and cultures around the world. Xiaoping Mao, China, 2023 Bodies blur as they move to the music during a party to celebrate the festive week of Maslenitsa at the St. Petersburg State University. Anton Golyshev, Russia, 2011 A wedding party celebrates new nuptials with a dance through the historic alleys of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Osman Sharif, Louisiana, 2021 Get the latest Travel & Culture stories in your inbox.

Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate / Perkins&Will São PauloSave this picture!© Pedro MascaroOffice Buildings•São Paulo, Brazil Architects: Perkins&Will São Paulo Area Area of this architecture project Area:  2900 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Pedro Mascaro Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:  Protecnica, Stone, Sulmetais Lead Architects: Douglas Tolaine More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Alameda Gabriel Monteiro da Silva is home to the most prestigious addresses in Brazilian design, where big names in furniture and interior design set up their headquarters and welcome design enthusiasts daily, connecting the financial hubs of Avenida Paulista and Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima. In 2025, this star-studded address will gain yet another example of design excellence, this time an icon of contemporary architecture developed by Perkins&Will, Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate.Save this picture!Save this picture!The neighborhood is a high-end residential area, marked by a series of restrictions on the height and typology of buildings. In other words, designing at this address means being aware of the enormous responsibility of interacting with the surrounding area, taking advantage of this very special opportunity to contribute to the development of a strategic and inspiring area of the city.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The single-occupancy building is composed of two floors resting on a permeable ground floor, with concrete pilotis and glass panels that reinforce the connection between the interior and exterior, elegant design and abundant landscaping. The large slabs – free of structural interruptions – offer flexibility for occupation and interaction with the vegetation that surrounds the building, without giving up privacy, guaranteed by the Corten steel brise-soleils, which also mark the limit with the sidewalk, in a composition complemented by the soft stone walls, which lend organicity (and Brazilianness) to the timeless volume.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The distinctive metal elements dictate the rhythm of the façade, with alternating vertical lines that protect the generous windows, always ready to flood the spaces with natural light. The landscaping enhances the garden, echoing the beauty and tranquility that greenery can provide to the urban environment.Save this picture!"Developing a corporate boutique in such an iconic location is a tremendous opportunity to redevelop and give new meaning and purpose to a corner lot. Our proposal is to integrate the Jardins neighborhood into the building, as if the development had always existed. We seek to combine the comfort, scale and identity of the surrounding homes with a unique design that values nature in an exuberant and singular symbiosis, meeting the needs of a society in constant evolution," shares Douglas Tolaine, creative leader and design director at Perkins&Will São Paulo.Save this picture!Save this picture!This corporate project challenges the outdated notion that office buildings must be imposing, mirrored structures. What makes it particularly appealing is the way it embraces its surroundings — respecting the existing urban fabric and integrating deeply into the local landscape, creating a harmonious and solid presence in the city.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Jardim America, BrazilLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this office Published on June 07, 2025Cite: "Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate / Perkins&Will São Paulo" 07 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030666/gabriel-faria-lima-corporate-perkins-and-will-sao-paulo&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

As Country Living’s Senior Homes and Style Editor, I’ve seen my share of kitchens over the years, so I know what decorating ideas do and do not actually work in a kitchen. As well, I know which ideas are best for achieving the kitchen style you like, whether you want to embrace cottage style, have a farmhouse-style kitchen, create a British-inspired cook space, or make it something a little in between. Here at Country Living, we have been fans of cottagecore long before the internet deemed it cool. Of all the styles of kitchens, a cottage-style kitchen is tops for having the most personal charm and character (read: sink skirts, colored cabinetry, open shelving filled with personal one-of-a-kind collections, inviting breakfast nooks...). You see, cottage living is all about embracing imperfection and a timeless lived-in style. While those ideas might seem antithetical to kitchen design, they really are not. Even the newest, most state-of-the-art kitchens can benefit from patinaed, less-than-perfect accents. Below, I have rounded up some of the best (and designer-approved) ways to channel that humble cottage look in your kitchen. From ideas for painting your cabinetry to fresh approaches for backsplash tile, these ideas are guaranteed to make your space into something Beatrix Potter herself would envy! For more kitchen decorating ideas, check out these stories:1Lean Into Existing ArchitectureRikki Snyder for Country LivingIf your home is lucky (yes, lucky!) enough to have quirky architectural features, lean into them and allow them to inform your palette and decor as designer Christina Salway did in her wood-filled New York kitchen. TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE2Embrace a Cheerful PaletteBecky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingNothing gives off cottage charm like an equally charming color palette. In this Alabama kitchen, soft, buttery yellow cabinetry pairs with a fruit-themed wallpaper to create a perfectly prim palette. Get the Look:Cabinet Paint Color: Sudbury Yellow by Farrow & BallWallpaper: Fruit by Morris & Co. TOUR THIS KITCHENAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3Add A Stove CoveBecky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingStove coves are a great way to add architectural interest to your kitchen. Back the inset space with beadboard, like designer Trinity Holmes did here, for added cottage appeal. TOUR THIS KITCHENRELATED: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Stove Coves4Go Wild with WallpaperBrian Woodcock for Country LivingWhile it may seem counterintuitive, bold wallpaper is a great for adding character to smaller spaces. For cramped kitchens with little natural light, stick to brighter, tonal patterns such as the one shown here. Get the Look:Wallpaper: "London Rose" by House of HackneyRELATED: Our Best Kitchen Wallpaper Ideas EverAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Wrap the Room in Open ShelvingHelen Norman for Country LivingDoes your cottage kitchen lack serious storage space? No worries. Display your favorite ceramic finds on kitchen-spanning open-shelving like photographer Helen Norman did here in her farmhouse kitchen. RELATED: These Open Shelving Ideas Will Have You Ready to Rip Out Your Cabinetry 6Mix Your MaterialsHelen Norman, styling by Matthew GleasonIn this colorful cottage kitchen, worn woods and happily patinaed copper craft a curated-over-time feel that amps up the coziness factor. Mix up materials to easily give your kitchen a lived-in feel.TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: 40 Pretty and Practical Kitchen Backsplash IdeasAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below7Build Out a Breakfast NookKirsten FrancisNo cottage kitchen is complete without a cozy breakfast nook. In this Connecticut kitchen, designer Stephanie Perez installed a banquette along her wall of windows and paired it with a chippy blue table. Hanging baskets add extra cottage charm. RELATED: Check Out All of Our Best Breakfast Nook Ideas8Mount a Peg RailJody BeckMix utilitarian appeal with classic style by mounting a peg rail along your kitchen’s workspace. While this works especially well with wood-paneled backsplash, it can be used with tile too. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Add Timeworn Character With Unlacquered BrassAnnie Schlechter for Country LivingChanging up the hardware in your kitchen is an easy and inexpensive way to give the space a fresh look. Swapping builder-grade knobs and pulls with unlacquered brass pieces will add timeworn character in an instant. (And, they’ll only look better over time!)RELATED: The Best Blue Paint Colors for Your Kitchen Cabinetry10Skirt Your SinkDavid Tsay for Country LivingTake a note from Heather Taylor and add a skirt to your sink! This quick upgrade, which can be DIY’d in just an afternoon, adds sweet cottage cheer to any kitchen. If you don’t want to DIY, get crafty with store-bought café curtains. RELATED: Sink Skirts Are the Nostalgic Trend Designers Are Loving Right NowAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below11Hang Café CurtainsStacy Zarin GoldbergIn fact, go all-in on café curtains! These humble window coverings are in the midst of a resurgence thanks to the rising popularity of happily twee decorating. Pick pretty patterns for a white kitchen or stick to calm neutrals in an already pattern-filled space. RELATED: See Why Designers Are Loving Café Curtains Right Now12Stick to Simple TileRead McKendreeIn a house with interesting architectural elements, pick simple finishes and allow the space’s character to shine through. In this 17th century New England cottage designed by Stephenie and Chase Watts, a simple white Zellige tile backsplash extends to the ceiling, allowing the warm wood beams and original flooring to take center stage. RELATED: Should Your Kitchen and Bathroom Tile Match? Designers Weigh InAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below13Go All-In on VintageMarta Xochilt Perez for Country LivingThrifted finds are the quickest way to bring character to an all-white cottage kitchen. Opt for vintage pieces inspired by your locale and lean into crustier, worn pieces for the ultimate curated look. TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: 10 Old-School Finds That Add Instant Charm to a Kitchen14Match Your Trim To Your CeilingChase DanielLooking for a weekend project to up the design ante in your kitchen? Then it’s time to bring out a paint can! In this humble Texas cottage, a happy duck egg blue paint color was used on the trim, ceiling, and cabinetry to tie the space together with an easy, approachable feel. A reproduction wallpaper ("Larkspur 1872" designed by William Morris) adds just a pop of pattern. Get the Look:Trim and Ceiling Paint Color: Jamestown Blue by Benjamin MooreTOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below15Pretty Up a Pass Through Dustin HalleckIf your cramped kitchen leaves little room for serving, look into installing a pass-through window! These are steeped in old-school charm and add foster a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere. RELATED: These Old House Features Need to Make a Comeback Right Now16Paint Your FloorsDana GallagherIf channeling old-school charm is your preferred method of character-building, then try painting your floors! A classic black-and-white checkerboard pattern is a timeless choice, but the options are only limited by your imagination. Psst...old house owners, this is also a budget-friendly way to cover your wonky floors! RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Painting Your Floors Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Mount a Plate RackCarina OlanderDon’t overlook the power of a classic plate rack, which offers the same (if not better) organizational efforts as regular upper cabinetry or open shelving. Paint the plate rack to match your lower cabinetry or go with a contrasting wood stain. RELATED: 7 Kitchen Storage Mistakes You’re Definitely Making, And How to Fix Them18Go MoodyAli Harper for Country LivingNot every cottage kitchen needs to be light and bright. Lean into the cozy vibes of your home with a dark palette. This Alabama cottage features chocolate brown walls, which are complemented by unexpected hits of primary red and blue. Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Dark Chocolate by Benjamin MooreRELATED: These Are the Best Brown Paint Colors, According to DesignersAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below19Use Salvaged Pieces Reid RollsAdd personality to your kitchen with unique salvaged pieces. Source them from your local architectural salvage yard or antique store, like designer Leanne Ford did with this repurposed china cabinet.TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: 100+ Best Places to Shop for Salvage and Other Antiques and Vintage Online20Go for Butcher BlockDavid A. LandInstalling butcher-block countertops is a sure-fire way to add humble character to your cottage kitchen. Pair it with other wood accents, like designer Hadley Wiggins did here, for a timeless look.TOUR THIS ENTIRE HOUSERELATED: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Butcher-Block CountertopsAnna LoganSenior Homes & Style EditorAnna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.  

For Season 3 of Amazon’s The Wheel of Time, Proof Inc. reimagined post-visualization, developing an innovative “Sketchvis” pipeline that blurred the boundaries between previs, postvis, and final VFX. Under Supervisor Steve Harrison, Proof created over 35 minutes of intricate, stylized visualizations across all eight episodes, establishing an expressive visual foundation for the series’ complex magical elements known as “channeling.” Proof’s Sketchvis combined 2D artistry with sophisticated 3D execution using Maya and Nuke, complemented by vibrant glows and intricate distortion effects. Each spell’s distinct energy was carefully choreographed, whether corkscrewing beams of power or serpentine streams of water, closely aligning with the narrative’s elemental logic and dramatically influencing the show’s pacing and visual storytelling. Working closely in daily collaboration with Production and VFX Supervisor Andy Scrase, the Proof team took on design challenges typically reserved for final VFX vendors like Framestore and DNEG. This proactive approach allowed Proof to define not only the aesthetic but also the motion logic of key magical sequences, creating a precise roadmap that remarkably mirrors what audiences will experience in the final episodes. For Proof, traditionally known for character animation and environmental previs, this venture into nuanced effect design and movement choreography represented both a creative challenge and a significant expansion of their artistic repertoire, adding to the visual texture of The Wheel of Time and pushing post-visualization into compelling new creative territory. The team contributed to all eight episodes with a core team of six artists. Proof’s ability to step beyond previs and postvis into effect design and movement development made them a key partner, enhancing in-camera performances and helping shape the visual language of the series.

The council granted consent to JTP's reserved matters application for the new amenity within the Blackbird Leys estate. The practice has been working on its wider vision for the estate’s regeneration since 2019. The district centre is being regenerated by housing association Peabody, which plans to create 294 affordable homes as well as shops, public realm improvements and active travel infrastructure. The community centre will be owned and operated by the council, and is designed to offer flexible space for support services, events and community activities.Advertisement It will feature three large halls, a range of office spaces and other areas for people to meet and relax. The building will be complemented by a new public square featuring play areas for children and young people, a rain garden, accessible equipment and public art. Peabody regional managing director Simon Barry described the planning approval as ‘really good news for Blackbird Leys’. He added: ‘Local people have told us how much they want a community space that’s welcoming, flexible and built around their needs, and now we can get started on making that happen. ‘We’re grateful to everyone who’s taken the time to share their views along the way, and we’ll continue working closely with the community as we move into the next phase.’Advertisement Blackbird Leys community centre co-design with Transition by Design Oxford cabinet member for housing Linda Smith described the approval as ‘a huge step forward for Blackbird Leys’. She added: ‘The new community centre will be a true home for community life – a vibrant, welcoming, inclusive space where residents can come to connect. ‘It’s been shaped by local voices every step of the way and will sit right at the heart of a regenerated district centre that offers real opportunities for the community, including much-needed homes, shops and outdoor space. ‘We are so proud to be delivering this vibrant new development, and I’m excited to see the next steps take shape.’ Construction of the community centre is expected to start later this year and is expected to be ready for internal fit-out in 2027. JTP's approved community centre for Blackbird Leys Oxford - axonometric

The inaugural edition of Shelter – a design fair on the occasion of NYCxDESIGN 2025, organized by the online collectible design platform Afternoon Light – was held on the third floor of Chelsea’s historic Starrett-Lehigh building. The 1930s-era daylit factory is an architectural relic from a time when industrial spaces of the same typology prioritized creative wellness through a structural-utilitarian-aesthetic unity. Its physicality provided an idyllic backdrop for the show’s eclectic, experimental design, which, when coupled with an expansive floorplate, promoted a sense of community among participants. More than 100 brands and makers across furniture, lighting, and product design converged on the bazaar of sorts to mingle with other trade professionals and media in what proved to be a creative convivance – something critical for in-person events looking to wrest audience attention and social currency back from the digital realm. Designers embraced the building’s ribbon-windowed, sun-drenched interior with some choosing to unfurl product-filled landscapes in lieu of walled booths while others opted for scene-building by erecting immersive sets. Aptly themed “Mart Nouveau,” Shelter’s successful launch has already positioned itself as a purveyor of taste and a collector of oddities in the best possible way. “We wanted to reference the industry-event tradition while also signaling that our activation is something entirely new… with a little aesthetic flair, too,” shares fair co-founder Minya Quirk. “Art Nouveau as a movement was about breaking from historical styles and creating something modern and forward-thinking, which we tempered by leaning into the larger concept of ‘shelter’ – protection, cover, the comfort of a hug.” Far from an exhaustive list, continue reading for a glimpse at 15 enchanting designers and the beguiling pieces that captured our attention at this year’s event. Matter.Made Matter.Made’s creative director and founder Jamie Gray launches the Delphi Pendant with star-like tubular detailing for a design that sparks great joy upon inspection. The versatile lighting collection is constructed of cast and machine brass paired with fluted glass in an homage to Greek columns. What’s more, the proprietary brass chain unlocks many use cases through customization as a pendant, sconce, and chandelier. N. Shook Reconfigurable, streamlined, and conceived as an architectural system. The Ledoux Prêt perforated shelving units, which revolve around a central spine, are satisfyingly thick with a lightness of form from their carefully calculated perforations. The cabinet doors swing on visible wooden hinges in an honest approach articulating their fully wooden joinery. Avram Rusu Studio Spring melds with summer in Psychogeography, a collaboration between Avram Rusu, Token, and Wallpaper Objects. The peachy-pink, biophilic glass orbs are whimsical by design suspended in space as they toe the line between sea creature and weeping botanicals. The sleek, bulbous forms and slightly organic folds pepper the collection with visual interest while enhancing their glow. Riffmade Riffmade’s Veil Curtain Desk is contemporary in appearance all the while deeply rooted in the domestic tradition that favors a slower pace. It supports a dynamic, modern work-life rhythm by hiding professional work stations behind a textile curtain and allowing users to create boundaries for the sake of their personal time. Jackrabbit Studio for Roll & Hill The Checa Stools commemorate Jackrabbit Studio’s first collection with New York-based, artisan manufacturer Roll & Hill. Each of the three options find themselves grounded in warmth, made even more inviting by Brett Miller’s inimitable round form-making, here inspired by the surface tension of water droplets. Ford Bostwick Finding furniture and lighting by way of architecture, designer Ford Bostwick takes the edge off rigid material forms with his indulgence in light and color. Lucy, the sculptural luminaire, can be stacked vertically or built out horizontally to create near-infinite linear combinations with her modules. She can be configured as a tower, room divider, wall feature, wall-mounted sconce, or ceiling-suspended pendant for a variety of programmatic needs. Yamazaki Home Smart brands like Yamazaki Home are approaching pet products with the same level of scrutiny and attention to detail as they would when designing goods for their human counterparts. The Tilted Pet Food Bowls elevate – quite literally – the dining experience for domesticated animals while creating a beautiful design object that doesn’t feel out of place in the contemporary home. Fort Standard Hardware Hardware bridges the gap between architecture and decorative objects, but few function with excellence at both. Fort Standard successfully expands into architectural hardware with beautiful home solutions through their Concave Collection. The slightly oversized handles boast a visual and physical weight that is hard to ignore. And, they are available in a variety of dimensions to accommodate a wide range of applications. M.Pei Studio (as curated by Colony) Maggie Pei presented her Portico Console Table and Wall Hanging Mirror as M. Pei Studio within a capsule showcase for Colony – a community of independent furniture, lighting, textile, and objects designers brought together by curator Jean Lin. Pei’s portico is monumental, meant for entryways that command passersby to gaze at and inspire a moment of personal reflection. A Space Studio Marble is arguably one of the trade’s most venerable building materials and A Space Studio takes a ‘waste not, want not’ approach to their use of it. The studio’s Slanted Armchair No. 1 is seductive, cut from a single sheet of Indian Onyx and leaning into its angular architecture. Michiko Sakano Studio Brooklyn-based, multi-hyphenate maker Michiko Sakano is all about duality. Her practice is an amalgam of art and design while her work blends utility with aesthetics. This current collection on view, Stacks, builds on previous explorations of jewelry. Here, rigid glass bangles of varying thicknesses and opacities are caught in tension as they melt into the layers below. It explores an inherent contrast between softness and structure, the negotiation between tradition and experimentation, and exemplifies Sakano’s skills as a fabricator when they meet her creative impulses. John Wells Heavy Metal & FDK Junior In a shared exhibition space, the natural patination of John Wells’ ES-07 Sconces complemented the iridescence found on Fernando Kabigting’s wall sconce from his collection 01 Capsule: Rooted in Nature. The two share a propensity for narrative driven design with contrasting approaches to storytelling through material finish and edgework. Wells’ sconces comprise stacked, terraced plates backed by LED strip lighting that echo elements of Art Deco design, while Kabigting looks to nature pulling inspiration from capillary waves caused by a droplet of water or the crinkled edge of crisp leaves. Heako Studio A good lede can make or break a story with its power to pull readers in. The same goes for objects with compelling visual contrast, which commands an audience. Soul-born artist Hea Ko knows how to craft a strong design narrative as demonstrated by the Himalaya Lunar Lamp. With this piece Ko creates a vignette distilling the serene yet powerful juxtaposition of the moon in dialogue with the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas – and bridging the natural with the celestial. Garnier Pingree Good collage is esoteric, expressive, and sometimes elusive, relying on chance for the perfect amalgamation of media. Marie Garnier and Asa Pingree, the duo behind Garnier Pingree, present the Claude Mirror I – a collage of simple shapes, a primary color, and superimposed textures – above their ‘A’ chair in a delightful display of materiality and wit. The seat offers a variety of ways to engage with comfort and even a little humor while settling in to relax.

The tower takes shape as two sets of overlapping cylinders, clad with prefabricated panels intended to evoke clouds. PROJECT The Butterfly + First Baptist Church Complex ARCHITECT Revery Architecture PHOTOS Ema Peter When you fly into Vancouver, the most prominent structure in the city’s forest of glass skyscrapers is now a 57-storey edifice known as the Butterfly. Designed by Revery Architecture, the luxury residential tower is the latest in a string of high-rises that pop out of the city’s backdrop of generic window-wall façades.  The Butterfly’s striking form evolved over many years, beginning with studies dating back to 2012. Revery principal Venelin Kokalov imagined several options, most of them suggesting a distinct pair of architectural forms in dialogue. Renderings and models of the early concepts relay a wealth of imagination that is sorely missing from much of the city’s contemporary architecture, as land economics, zoning issues, and the profit motive often compel a default into generic glass-and-steel towers. The earliest concepts look starkly different—some evoke the Ginger and Fred building in Prague (Frank Gehry with Vlado Milunić, 1996); others the Absolute Towers in Mississauga (MAD with Burka Varacalli Architects, 2009). But one consistent theme runs through the design evolution: a sense of two Rilkean solitudes, touching.  On each floor, semi-private sky gardens offer an outdoor place for residents to socialize. Client feedback, engineering studies, and simple pragmatics led to the final form: two sets of overlapping cylinders linked by a common breezeway and flanked by a rental apartment on one side and a restored church doubling as a community centre on the other. The contours of the floorplan are visually organic: evocative of human cells dividing. The roundness of the main massing is complemented by curvilinear balustrades that smoothly transform into the outer walls of each unit. It’s an eye-catching counterpoint to the orthogonality of the city’s built landscape. The two adjacent buildings—built, restored, and expanded as part of a density bonus arrangement with the city—help integrate this gargantuan structure with the lower-rise neighbourhood around it.  The Butterfly is a high-end, high-priced residential tower—one of the few typologies in which clients and communities are now willing to invest big money and resources in creative, visually astonishing architecture. That leads to a fundamental question: what is the public purpose of a luxury condo tower?  A public galleria joins the renovated First Baptist Church to the new building. Serving as a welcoming atrium, it allows for community access to the expanded church, including its daycare, full gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, overnight emergency shelter, and community dining hall equipped with a commercial kitchen. Whatever one feels about the widening divide between the haves and have-nots in our big cities, this building—like its ilk—does serve several important public purposes. The most direct and quantifiable benefits are the two flanking buildings, also designed by Revery and part of the larger project. The seven-storey rental apartment provides a modest contribution to the city’s dearth of mid-priced housing. The superbly restored and seismically upgraded First Baptist Church has expanded into the area between the new tower and original church, and now offers the public a wider array of programming including a gymnasium, childcare facility, and areas for emergency shelter and counselling services for individuals in need.  The church’s Pinder Hall has been reimagined as a venue for church and community events including concerts, weddings, and cultural programming. The Butterfly’s character is largely defined by undulating precast concrete panels that wrap around the building. The architects describe the swooping lines as being inspired by clouds, but for this writer, the Butterfly evokes a 57-layer frosted cake towering above the city’s boxy skyline. Kokalov winces when he hears that impression, but it’s meant as a sincere compliment. Clouds are not universally welcome, but who doesn’t like cake?  Kokalov argues that its experiential quality is the building’s greatest distinction—most notably, the incorporation of an “outdoors”—not a balcony or deck, but an actual outdoor pathway—at all residential levels. For years the lead form-maker at Bing Thom Architects, Kokalov was responsible for much of the curvilinearity in the firm’s later works, including the 2019 Xiqu Centre opera house in Hong Kong. It’s easy to assume that his forte and focus would be pure aesthetic delight, but he avers that every sinuous curve has a practical rationale.  The breezeways provide residents with outdoor entries to their units—an unusual attribute for high-rise towers—and contribute to natural cooling, ventilation, and daylight in the suites. Defying the local tower-on-podium formula, the building’s façade falls almost straight to the ground. At street level, the building is indented with huge parabolic concavities. It’s an abrupt way to meet the street, but the fall is visually “broken” by a publicly accessible courtyard.   The tower’s layered, undulating volume is echoed in a soaring residential lobby, which includes developer Westbank’s signature—a bespoke Fazioli grand piano designed by the building’s architect. After passing through this courtyard, you enter the building via the usual indoor luxe foyer—complete with developer Westbank’s signature, an over-the-top hand-built grand piano designed by the architect. In this case, the piano’s baroquely sculpted legs are right in keeping with the architecture. But after taking the elevator up to the designated floor, you step out into what is technically “outdoors” and walk to your front door in a brief but bracing open-air transition.  The main entrance of every unit is accessed via a breezeway that runs from one side of the building to another. Unglazed and open to the outside, each breezeway is marked at one end with what the architects call (a little ambitiously) a “sky garden,” in most cases consisting of a sapling that will grow into a leafy tree in due course, God and strata maintenance willing. This incorporation of nature and fresh air transforms the condominium units into something akin to townhouses, albeit stacked exceptionally high.  The suites feature a custom counter with a sculptural folded form. Inside each unit, the space can be expanded and contracted and reconfigured visually—not literally—by the fact that the interior wall of the secondary bedroom is completely transparent, floor to ceiling. It’s unusual, and slightly unnerving, but undeniably exciting for any occupants who wish to maximize their views to the mountains and sea. The curved glass wall transforms the room into a private enclave by means of a curtain, futuristically activated by remote control. The visual delight of swooping curves is only tempered when it’s wholly impractical—the offender here being a massive built-in counter that serves to both anchor and divide the living-kitchen areas. It reads as a long, pliable slab that is “folded” into the middle in such a way that the counter itself transforms into its own horseshoe-shaped base, creating a narrow crevice in the middle of the countertop. I marvel at its beauty and uniqueness; I weep for whoever is assigned to clean out the crumbs and other culinary flotsam that will fall into that crevice.  A structure made of high-performance modular precast concrete structural ribs arcs over a swimming pool that bridges between the building’s main amenity space and the podium roof. The building’s high-priced architecture may well bring more to the table than density-bonus amenities. On a broader scale, these luxe dwellings may be just what is needed to help lure the affluent from their mansions. As wealthy residents and investors continue to seek out land-hogging detached homes, the Butterfly offers an alternate concept that maintains the psychological benefit of a dedicated outside entrance and an outrageously flexible interior space. Further over-the-top amenities add to the appeal. Prominent among these is a supremely gorgeous residents-only swimming pool, housed within ribs of concrete columns that curve and dovetail into beams.   The ultimate public purpose for the architecturally spectacular condo tower: its role as public art in the city. The units in any of these buildings are the private side of architecture’s Janus face, but its presence in the skyline and on the street is highly public. By contributing a newly striking visual ballast, the Butterfly has served its purpose as one of the age-old Seven Arts: defining a location, a community, and an era. Adele Weder is a contributing editor to Canadian Architect. Screenshot CLIENT Westbank Corporation, First Baptist Church | ARCHITECT TEAM Venelin Kokalov (MRAIC), Bing Thom (FRAIC, deceased 2016), Amirali Javidan, Nicole Hu, Shinobu Homma MRAIC, Bibi Fehr, Culum Osborne, Dustin Yee, Cody Loeffen, Kailey O’Farrell, Mark Melnichuk, Andrea Flynn, Jennifer Zhang, Daniel Gasser, Zhuoli Yang, Lisa Potopsingh | STRUCTURAL Glotman Simpson | MECHANICAL Introba | ELECTRICAL Nemetz & Associates, Inc. | LANDSCAPE SWA Group (Design) w/ Cornelia Oberlander & G|ALA – Gauthier & Associates Landscape Architecture, Inc. (Landscape Architect of Record) | INTERIORS Revery Architecture | CONTRACTOR Icon West Construction (new construction); The Haebler Group (heritage) | LIGHTING ARUP (Design) & Nemetz (Engineer of Record) | SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY MODELlING Introba | BUILDING ENVELOPE RDH Building Science, Inc. | HERITAGE CONSERVATION Donald Luxton & Associates, Inc.| ACOUSTICS BKL Consultants Ltd. | TRAFFIC Bunt & Associates, Inc. | POOL Rockingham Pool Consulting, Inc. | FOUNTAIN Vincent Helton & Associates | WIND Gradient Wind Engineering, Inc. | WASTE CONSULTANT Target Zero Waste Consulting, Inc. | AREA 56,206 M2 | BUDGET Withheld | COMPLETION Spring 2025 ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 106 kWh/m2/year | WATER USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED) 0.72 m3/m2/year As appeared in the June 2025 issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post The Butterfly takes flight: The Butterfly, Vancouver, BC appeared first on Canadian Architect.