Acronis has appointed a new Country Manager for Iberia, Eduardo García Sancho, to oversee operations in the region. The plan is to grow the business, strengthen relationships with partners and clients, and enhance the company's presence in the area. Sounds like a typical corporate move, right? Not much excitement here. It's just another day in the world of cybersecurity. Eduardo will lead the team, but honestly, these changes rarely shake things up in a way that’s noticeable. Companies keep trying to expand and improve their market standing, which seems to be the standard practice these days. One more manager in the mix, same old story. While growth and relationships are important, it feels like we’ve heard this script before. You bring in someone new, they talk about plans and visions, and then... well, we wait to see if anything actually changes. It’s a bit like watching paint dry, really. So, Acronis now has Eduardo at the helm for Iberia. Let's see how that goes. If you're interested in cybersecurity or just happen to be following corporate management moves, this might be mildly worth noting. But, if you're like me, it probably won't spark much enthusiasm. Just another appointment in the long line of appointments. #Acronis #CountryManager #Iberia #Cybersecurity #CorporateMoves

Heydar Aliyev Center | © Olivier Blanchette via Unsplash In contemporary architectural discourse, the building envelope is no longer a passive partition but a dynamic interface capable of interaction, regulation, and adaptation. Amid rising environmental complexity and performance demands, composite materials are emerging as enablers of this transformation. Their potential goes far beyond lightweight strength; composites are redefining what intelligence means in architectural materiality. As the industry pivots toward energy-conscious design, real-time responsiveness, and multi-functional skins, composites provide structural solutions and performative systems. In this context, the envelope becomes a site of intelligence. From Passive Shells to Active Systems For centuries, architectural skins served primarily as barriers, blocking weather, enclosing space, and symbolizing permanence. But the 21st century demands more. We require façades that filter air and light, mediate thermal flux, integrate sensors, and generate power. Traditional materials, limited by monolithic performance and weight, have struggled to adapt. Composites, by contrast, are inherently systemic. They are engineered layers rather than singular substances. Through the integration of fibers and matrices, composites enable architectural envelopes that perform structurally while accommodating embedded systems such as thermal insulation, acoustic control, impact resistance, and photoreactivity. These characteristics make them prime candidates for high-performance envelopes in buildings and infrastructure alike. In the Qatar Integrated Railway Project, composite roofing and FRP façade panels were employed to meet the demands of the harsh desert environment. This solution reduced structural loads and improved thermal performance while ensuring long-term durability in a climate defined by extremes. Performance Layering and Embedded Intelligence What distinguishes composites from conventional materials is their capacity to combine multiple performance layers in one unified system. Instead of applying insulation, waterproofing, and cladding in sequence, a composite panel can consolidate these into a single prefabricated, high-performance element. A compelling example is the Eco Casa in Australia, designed by Ian Wright, which used frameless DuFLEX composite panels. The result was an environmentally conscious home with significantly reduced material waste, enhanced thermal performance, and minimized emissions. These outcomes demonstrate how composites offer design efficiency and ecological responsibility. The capacity for prefabrication and integration is particularly valuable in settings where labor conditions, transportation logistics, or weather exposure make traditional multi-layered construction inefficient or impractical. Composites with a Nervous System: Sensing the Built Environment Recent innovations in smart composites extend these capabilities further. By embedding fiber-optic or piezoresistive sensors into composite assemblies, architects and engineers can develop building skins that sense stress, temperature changes, humidity, or vibration in real-time. These responsive façades can feed data into building management systems, enabling performance optimization or alerting maintenance teams to signs of wear or structural fatigue. This functionality has been successfully explored in transport infrastructure. The King Abdullah High-Speed Rail Station in Saudi Arabia used 27-meter composite sandwich panels to span vast distances with minimal support. The lightweight system reduced the need for extensive reinforcement while enabling thermal and mechanical performance in a climate that demands resilience. Such examples are foundational to a future in which architecture does not merely resist the environment but interprets it. Formal Freedom Meets Functional Responsiveness Guangzhou Opera House | © Scarbor Siu via Unsplash Beyond embedded intelligence, composites also expand formal expression. Their moldability, especially with parametric design and digital fabrication, allows for envelopes that curve, fold, and morph in unattainable ways with conventional rigid materials. The Guangzhou Opera House, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is a defining example. Advanced composite assemblies that merged structural demands with formal ambition enabled its seamless curvatures and sharp transitions. These systems supported high-precision details and complex geometries while reducing material weight and installation complexity. This freedom extends to smaller-scale yet equally ambitious projects. At the Tilburg School for VAVO, translucent composite panels embedded with knitted textiles reference local craft while offering thermal performance and design cohesion. Such examples show that intelligence in architecture includes cultural sensitivity as well as technical adaptability. Toward Circular and Regenerative Envelopes The sustainability potential of composites is often overlooked. While early generations relied heavily on fossil-derived materials, newer systems use bio-based resins, natural fibers like flax and basalt, and recyclable matrices that fit into circular design models. Composite panels can now be designed for disassembly, repurposing, or reintegration into new construction, minimizing waste and conserving embodied energy. The Pasarela de Almuñécar in Spain exemplifies this ethos. As the world’s longest carbon-fiber walkway, it replaced heavier materials and extended structural lifespan while reducing maintenance. The project signals how composites can fulfill both technical and ecological ambitions. Efforts to embed digital tracking into panels, such as RFID tags, also support long-term monitoring and facilitate reuse planning. This vision aligns with emerging concepts like material passports, which will play a critical role in lifecycle accountability. Pasarela de Almuñécar in Spain | © Luis Garcia, CC by 3.0 Overcoming Barriers to Adoption Despite the clear advantages, composite adoption in architecture still faces notable hurdles. First is the challenge of integration with legacy materials such as concrete, stone, or steel. Connection detailing requires careful coordination to ensure structural continuity and thermal performance. Second is the perception of cost. While composites may require a higher upfront investment, their lower maintenance demands, improved energy performance, and reduced structural requirements often result in favorable long-term economics. Finally, regulatory frameworks continue to evolve. Building codes have been slow to reflect the unique properties of composites, although this is changing as standardization increases and successful pilot projects proliferate. A Vision for the Future: Architecture as Adaptive Intelligence Composites are not merely substitutes for traditional materials. They represent a paradigm shift in how we understand performance, integration, and the role of material in space-making. As architecture becomes increasingly data-driven, climate-responsive, and energy-conscious, the intelligent envelope will become the norm rather than the exception. Composites make this future feasible by offering structural capability, aesthetic freedom, environmental stewardship, and embedded intelligence within a single engineered solution. From high-speed rail terminals to cultural landmarks, these materials are shaping a new kind of architecture that listens, learns, and evolves. It is no longer sufficient for architecture to stand still. The next generation of buildings must adapt, interact, and perform. Composites make that future tangible. Learn More Explore how composite materials are redefining the building envelope in the construction sector and beyond: Visit Composites.Archi by ArchEyes Team Leave a comment #intelligent #envelope #how #composites #think

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "; At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of Venice Architecture Biennale, IE University is showcasing "Alternative Skies." The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of Venice Architecture Biennale which is curated by Carlo Ratti, features displays by Wesam Al Asali, a professor and researcher at the IE School of Architecture and Design; Sigrid Adriaenssens, director of Princeton University's Form Finding Lab and Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education; Romina Canna, director of d-Lab at IE University; and Robin Oval, professor at Institut Polytéchnique de Paris. In order to enhance their educational experience, students from the IE School of Architecture and Design have had the chance to work over the previous few months and participate in the installation's production.In order to reevaluate the distinctions between design, workmanship, and natural materials, the "Alternative Skies" project focuses on horizontal architectural features, specifically the roof as a symbolic place and an architectural construct. It calls attention to underappreciated vernacular building techniques and emphasizes how communal knowledge can be used to create environmentally and culturally sensitive architecture. "Alternative Skies" invites us to look upward and rethink our building practices.” He explained that the installation opens a dialogue between vernacular knowledge and emerging technologies, involving masters of traditional construction in Spain—Salvador Gomis, a tile vaulting specialist; Ángel María Martín, a geometrist and master of traditional Spanish carpentry; and Carlos Fontales, a basketry expert," said Wesam Al Asali, the project’s lead. “The project reflects our interest in exploring how design and fabrication technologies can draw on the many intelligences of craft, culture, and nature,” added Al Asali."Patterns in craft emerged through hands-on experimentation and tacit knowledge—shaping materials to meet human needs with elegance and efficiency. Today, we use physics, mathematics, and engineered design to reimagine and scale these crafted artifacts for future-oriented large structures," said Sigrid Adriaenssens.The "Arcade" is a vaulted structure that is 7.5 meters long and was created using three different roof and floor systems techniques. The "Alternative Skies Archive" below it employs traditional crafts to examine the relationship between natural materials and collective building knowledge.The "Arcade" has three full-scale vaulted systems and was created by Sigrid Adriaenssens and Wesam Al Asali as part of their joint project "Structural Crafts." These include a classic interlaced timber shell that combines attractive geometry and structural performance, a segmented tile vault that was created as a prefabricated modular system utilizing panelized building techniques, and a woven willow roof that was put together with the use of Augmented Reality tools. More than just a structural component, the suspended Arcade is a spatial representation of how design and production technologies convert implicit knowledge—such as patterns, pressures, and material intelligence—into architectural form.Two parallel cabinets frame the "Alternative Skies Archive" beneath the Arcade, inviting viewing and education. This learning environment was created in collaboration with the design laboratoryat the IE School of Architecture and Design under the direction of Romina Canna. Students from the Bachelor of Architectural Studies program collaborated with IWLab, a practice that Al Asali co-founded. From Syria's corbelled domes to Egypt's clay dovecotes, the exploring area showcases a variety of regional roofing customs, showcasing the inventiveness and resourcefulness of place-based methods. The "Archive" is an example of how local expertise and modern creativity may coexist to create sustainable, well-founded architecture.Romina Canna highlighted the alignment between the project and the IE School of Architecture and Design d-Lab's mission: "At our design laboratory, we explore design as a means of connecting disciplinary knowledge with other realms of meaning and production. In "Alternative Skies", we developed a narrative that reveals both existing and potential links between traditional knowledge and techniques, material intelligence, and design innovation."Intelligens Natural Artificial Collective is the theme of Carlo Ratti's 19th International Architecture Exhibition at Venice Architecture Biennale, which runs from May 10 to November 23. The show, which is organized around four sub-themes—Transdisciplinarity, Living Lab, Space for Ideas, and Circularity Protocol—aims to connect technology, nature, and teamwork.Ratti highlights that creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and inclusivity are essential for the advancement of architecture in the modern day. This edition investigates how architecture might use various forms of intelligence to adapt to an environment that is changing quickly. By showcasing the potential for incorporating community handicraft and natural intelligence into modern architectural thought, "Alternative Skies" significantly advances this discussion.With support from the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, IE School of Architecture and Design, Research Office IE University, and IE Foundation, "Alternative Skies" is able to participate in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.PlanVault boards tileVault boards timberVault boards willowThe 19th International Architecture Exhibition will take place from 10 May to 23 November 2025 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and various venues in Venice, Italy.Find out all exhibition news on WAC's Venice Architecture Biennale page. Exhibition factsConcept: Wesam Al AsaliDesign team: Wesam Al Asali, Sigrid Adriaenssens, Romina Canna, Robin Oval.Authorial Collaborators IWLab: Marah Sharabati, Joelle Deeb, Sadek Jooriahd-Lab: Marta Garcia Salamanca, Malena Gronda Garrigues, Michaela Zavacká, Alaa Belal, Hayk Areg Khachikyan Supported by: Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, IE School of Architecture and Design, Research Office IE University, IE FoundationTechnical Collaborators: Salvador Gomis Aviñó, Angel Maria Martín López, Carlos Fontales Ortíz, ETSAMaderaAknowledgments to: Alejandro García Hermida, Kinda Ghannoum, Alessandro Dell'Endice, IE University Fab Lab, Maintenance Team IE UniversityAll images © Luis Díaz Díaz.All drawings © Wesam Al Asali.> via IE University #university #presents #quotalternative #skiesquot #venice

RT Patrice GARCIAHi-Res Scan of a Concept Art I made for The Fifth Element in 1992."ZORG's office #8"You can Tap, Hold, Load in 4k to see details. #patrice #garcia #hires #scan #concept

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Diving into the ocean with golf ball-inspired vehicles is what scientists are working on Sayan Sen Neowin @ssc_combater007 · May 24, 2025 16:24 EDT Image by Kindel Media via PexelsResearchers at the University of Michigan have come up with a new idea that could make underwater and aerial vehicles move more smoothly and efficiently. Their inspiration? The dimples on a golf ball. Golf balls fly farther than smooth ones because their dimples cut down on pressure drag—basically, the force that slows things down when moving through air or water. The researchers applied this concept to a new spherical prototype with dimples that can be adjusted. They tested its performance in a wind tunnel. “A dynamically programmable outer skin on an underwater vehicle could drastically reduce drag while eliminating the need for protruding appendages like fins or rudders for maneuvering,” said Anchal Sareen, an assistant professor at U-M. “By actively adjusting its surface texture, the vehicle could achieve precise maneuverability with enhanced efficiency and control.” This could be useful for things like ocean exploration, mapping, and gathering environmental data. The prototype is made by stretching a thin latex layer over a hollow sphere filled with tiny holes. When a vacuum pump is turned on, the latex gets pulled in, forming dimples. Turning off the pump makes the sphere smooth again. To measure how well the dimples reduced drag, researchers placed the sphere inside a three-meter-long wind tunnel, holding it in place with a thin rod. They changed the wind speed and adjusted the depth of the dimples. A load cell recorded the aerodynamic forces, while high-speed cameras tracked airflow patterns. The results showed that shallow dimples worked better at high wind speeds, while deeper dimples were more effective at lower speeds. Adjusting dimple depth helped cut drag by up to 50% compared to a smooth sphere. “The adaptive skin setup is able to notice changes in the speed of the incoming air and adjust dimples accordingly to maintain drag reductions,” said Rodrigo Vilumbrales-Garcia, a postdoctoral research fellow at U-M. “Applying this concept to underwater vehicles would reduce both drag and fuel consumption.” The researchers also discovered that the textured surface could generate lift, a force that helps steer the sphere. By activating dimples on only one side, they caused the air to flow differently, creating a force that pushed the sphere in a specific direction. Tests showed that, with the right dimple depth, the sphere could generate lift forces up to 80% of the drag force. This effect was similar to the Magnus effect, which typically requires constant rotation. “I was surprised that such a simple approach could produce results comparable to the Magnus effect,” said Putu Brahmanda Sudarsana, a graduate student at U-M. Looking ahead, Sareen hopes to collaborate with other experts to improve this technology. “This smart dynamic skin technology could be a game-changer for unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles, offering a lightweight, energy-efficient, and highly responsive alternative to traditional jointed control surfaces,” she said. Source: University of Michigan, AIP Publishing This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed #diving #into #ocean #with #golf